I 


NO.   1. 

THE 


SPANIARDS 


i 


IN 


FLORIDA. 


IQ 


(ej 


BY 


GEORGE  R.  FAIRBANKS 


COLUMBUS    DREW, 

JACKSONVILLE,  Pla. 


THE 


SPANIARDS  IN  FLORIDA, 


COMPKISING  THE  NOTABLE  SETTLEMENT 


OF    THB 


HUGUENOTS  IN  1564,     , 


AND   THE 


HISTORY  AND   ANTIQUITIES 


OF 


St.  Augustine, 


Founded  A.  D.  1565. 


BY 

GEORGE  R.  FAIRBANKS, 

VIOB-PKESIDENT  FLORIBA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY :    HONOEART  MEMBER  NEW- YORK   HISTOEICAI.  SOCIETY : 
LECTURER  ON   AMERICAN   HISTORY  IN   THE   UNIVERSITY   OF   THE    BOUTH. 


JACKSONVILLE,   FLA. 
COLUMBUS    DKEW. 

1868. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  186S,  by 

COLUMBUS  DREW, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 

District  of  New  York. 


•  ,    1        t  <      « 


•     "c 


B        t  J    t  • 


t     c 


*  I       •    t  *  , 


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RESPECTFULLY    INSCRIBED 

TO 

BIJCKINQHAM    SMITH,    ESQ.. 

C.    8.    SECRETARY    OF    LEGATION    AT    MADRID, 

TO   WHOSE   EFFORTS   IN   THE 

DISCOVERY  AND  PRESERVATION  OF  THE   HISTORY  AND   ANTIQUiriES   OF   THE 
SPANISH  DOMINION   IN   AMERICA, 

A    GRATEFUL    ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

18    DUE    FROM 

AMERICAN    SCHOLARS. 


ivil65ei56 


PREFACE. 


This  volume,  relating  to  the  history  and  antiquities  of  the  oldest 
settlement  in  the  United  States,  has  grown  out  of  a  lecture  delivered 
by  the  author,  and  which  he  was  desired  to  embody  in  a  more  perma- 
nent form. 

The  large  amount  of  interesting  material  in  my  possession,  has  made 
my  work  rather  one  of  laborious  condensation  than  expansion. 

I  have  endeavored  to  preserve  as  fully  as  possible,  the  style  and 
quaintness  of  the  old  writers  from  whom  I  have  drawn,  rather  than  to 
transform  or  embellish  the  narrative  with  the  supposed  graces  of  mod- 
ern diction ;  and,  as  much  of  the  work  consisted  in  translations  from 
foreign  idioms,  this  peculiarly  un-English  style,  if  I  may  so  call  it, 
will  be  more  noticeably  observed.  I  have  mainly  sought  to  give  it  a 
permanent  value,  as  founded  on  the  most  reliable  ancient  authorities ; 
and  thus,  to  the  extent  of  the  ground  which  it  covers,  to  make  it  a 
valuable  addition  to  the  history  of  our  country. 

In  that  portion  of  the  work  devoted  to  the  destruction  of  the  Hug- 
uenot colony  and  the  forces  of  Ribault,  I  have  in  the  main  followed 
the  Spanish  accounts,  desiring  to  divest  the  narrative  of  all  suspicion 
of  prejudice  or  unfairness;  Barcia,  the  principal  authority,  as  is  well 
known,  professing  the  same  faith  as  Menendez,  and  studiously  endeav- 
orine:  throughout  his  work,  to  exalt  the  character  of  the  Adelantado. 

I  am  under  great  obligations  to  my  friend,  Buckinguam  Smith, 
KsQ.,  for  repeated  favors  in  the  course  of  its  preparation. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION. 


The  interest  evinced  in  the  publication  of  the  first  edition  of  this 
volume,  in -1858,  under  the  title  of  History  and  Antiquities  of 
St.  Augustine,  has  induced  the  author  to  prepare  a  second  edition 
for  the  press,  under  the  present  title,  as  being  more  exactly  descriptive 
of  that  portion  of  the  history  of  Florida  embraced  in  its  pages. 

He  hopes  at  no  distant  day  to  put  to  press  the  History  of  Florida,  in 
a  much  more  complete  form,  and  embracing  the  chequered  and  various 
pictures  of  the  many  expeditions  which  sought  either  to  found  upon 
its  shores  a  kingdom  to  satiate  their  ambition,  or  to  find  wealth  com- 
mensurate with  their  desires. 

A  chapter  of  no  mean  interest  in  the  history  of  Florida  has  been 
added  since  the  first  preface  was  written.  Battles  have  been  fought 
upon  its  soil,  more  considerable  as  to  the  numbers  engaged  and  the 
fierceness  of  the  fray,  than  any  ever  before  recorded.  But  as  this 
chapter  forms  a  portion  of  the  general  history  of  the  State  rather  than 
of  the  old  city  which  played  but  an  inconsiderable  part  in  the  contest, 
it  does  not  fall  within  the  purview  of  this  work  to  make  more  than  ;i 

brief  mention  of  this  period. 

G.  R.  F. 

University  Place,  Tenn., 

Oct.  1,  18C8. 


CONTENTS. 


-♦- 


PAGl. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Introductory '.* 

CHAPTER  II. 

First  discovery,  1512  to  1565. — Juan  Ponce  de  Leon 11 

CHAPTER  III. 

Ribault,  Laudonniere,  and  Menendcz — Settlements  of  the  Huguenots, 

and  foundation  of  St.  Augustine.— 1562— 1565— 1568 18 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  attack  on  Fort  Caroline.— 1565 lU 

CHAPTER  V. 

Escape  of  Laudonniere  and  others  from  Fort  Caroline — Adventures  of 
the  fugitives 24 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Site  of  Fort  Caroline,  afterwards  called  San  Matteo 31 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Menendez's  return  to  St.  Augustine — Shipwreck  of  Ribault — Massacre 

of  part  of  his  command. — A.  D.  1565 38 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Fate  of  Ribault  and  his  followers — Bloody  massacre  at  Matanzas,  1565.     46 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Fortifying  of  St.  Augustine — Disaffections  and  mutinies — Approval  of 
Menendez'  acts  by  king  of  Spain. — 1565 — 1568 54 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  notable  revenge  of  Dominic  de  Qourgues — Return  of  Menendez — 

Indian  Mission. — 1568 6  ) 


8  CONTENTS. 

Paos. 

CHAPTER  XL 

Sir  Francis  Drake's  attack  upon  St.  Augustine — Establishment  of  mis- 
sions— Massacre  of  missionaries  at  St.  Augustine. — 1586 — 1G38 C-j 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Subjection  of  the  Apalachian  Indians — Construction  of  the  fort,  sea 
wall,  &c.— 1638— 1700 71 

CHAPTER  XIII. 


Attack  on  St.  Augustine  by  Gov.  Moore  of  South  Carolina — Difficul- 
ties with  the  Georgians. — 1702 — 1732 7 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Siege  of  St.  Augustine  by  Oglethorpe.— 1782— 1740 82 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Completion  of   the  castle — Descriptions  of  St.  Augustine  a  century 

ago — English  occupation  of  Elorida. — 1755 — 1703 — 1783 00 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Kc-cession  of  Florida  to  Spain — Erection  of  the  Parish  Church — Change 

of  flags.— 1783— 1821 lO^t 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Transfer  of  Florida  to  the  United  States — American  occupation — An- 
cient buildings,  &c lOti 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Present  appearance  of  St.  Augustine,  as  given  by  the  author  of  Thana- 

topsis — Its  climate  and  salubrity 110 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

St.  Augustine  in  it8  old  ago.— 15G&— 1868 118 


THE  HISTORY  AND  ANTIQUITIES 


OP 


ST.  A^UaUSTINE,  Fla. 


«  mm»  ' 


CHAPTER    I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

The  Saint  Augustine  of  the  present  and  the  St.  Augus- 
tine of  the  past,  are  in  striking  contrast. 

We  see,  to-day,  a  town  less  in  population  than  hundreds 
of  places  of  but  few  months'  existence,  dilapidated  in  its 
appearance,  with  the  stillness  of  desolation  hanging  over  it. 
its  waters  undisturbed  except  by  the  passing  canoe  of  the 
fisherman,  its  streets  unenlivened  by  busy  traffic,  and  at 
mid-day  it  might  be  supposed  to  have  sunk  under  the  en- 
chanter's wand  into  an  almost  eternal  sleep. 

With  no  participation  in  the  active  schemes  of  life,  and 
no  hopes  for  the  future  ;  with  no  emulation,  and  no  feverish 
visions  of  future  greatness ;  with  no  corner  lots  on  sale  or 
in  demand  ;  with  no  stocks,  save  those  devoted  to  disturbers 
of  the  public  peace ;  with  no  excitements  and  no  events ;  a 
(piiet,  undisturbed,  dreamy  vision  of  still  life  surrounds  its 
walls,  and  creates  a  sensation  of  entire  repose,  pleasant  or 
otherwise,  as  it  falls  upon  the  heart  of  the  weary  wanderer 
sick  of  life's  bus}'  bustle,  or  upon  the  restless  mind  of  him 
who  looks  to  nothing  as  life  except  perpetual,  unceasing 
action — the  one  rejoicing  in  its  rest,  the  other  chafing  under 
its  monotony.  And  yet,  about  the  old  city  there  clings  a 
host  of  historic  associations,  that  throw  around  it  a  charm 
which  few  can  fail  to  feel. 

Its  life  is  in  its  past ;  and  when  we  recall  the  fact  that  it 
was  the  first  permanent  settlement  of  the  white  man,  by 
more  than  forty  years,  in  this  confederacy  ;  that  here  for  the 
first  time,  isolated  within  the  shadows  of  the  primeval  for- 
est, the  civilization  of  the  Old  World  made  its  abiding 
9 


10  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 

place,  where  all  was  new,  and  wild,  and  strange ;  that  this 
now  so  insignificant  place  was  the  key  of  an  empire ;  that 
npon  its  fate  rested  the  destiny  of  a  nation  ;  that  its  occupa- 
tion or  retention  decided  the  fate  of  a  people  ;  that  it  was 
itself  a  vice  provincial  court,  boasted  of  its  adelantados, 
men  of  the  first  mark  and  note,  of  its  Royal  Exchequer,  its 
public  functionaries,  its  brave  men  at  arms  ;  that  its  proud 
name,  conferred  by  its  monarch,  "  Le  siemprcjiel  Ciudad  de 
San  Auausiin," — The  ever  faithful  City  of  St.  Augustine — 
stood  out  upon  the  face  of  history  ;  that  here  the  cross  was 
first  planted ;  that  from  the  Papal  throne  itself  rescripts 
were  addressed  to  its  governors  ;  that  the  first  great  efforts 
at  Christianizing  the  fierce  tribes  of  America  proceeded 
from  this  spot ;  that  the  martyr's  blood  was  first  here  shed  ; 
that  within  these  quiet  walls  the  din  of  arms,  the  noise  of 
battle,  and  the  fierce  cry  of  assaulting  columns,  have  been 
heard  ; — Who  will  not  then  feel  that  we  stand  on  historic 
ground,  and  that  an  interest  attaches  to  the  annals  of  this 
ancient  city  far  more  than  is  possessed  by  mere  brick  and 
mortar,  rapid  growth,  or  unwonted  prosperity?  Moss- 
grown  and  shattered,  it  appeals  to  our  instinctive  feelings  of 
reverence  for  antiquity  ;  and  we  feel  desirous  to  know  the 
history  of  its  earlier  days. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  11 


CHAPTER  II. 

FIRST  DISCOVERY,  1512  TO  1565— JUAN  PONOE  DE  LEON. 

Among  the  sturdy  adventurers  of  the  sixteenth  century 
who  sought  both  fame  and  fortune  in  the  path  of  discovery, 
was  Ponce  de  Leon,  a  companion  of  Columbus  on  his  sec- 
ond voyage,  a  veteran  and  bold  mariner,  who,  after  a  long 
and  adventurous  life,  feeling  the  infirmities  of  age  and  the 
shadows  of  the  decline  of  life  hanging  over  him,  willingly 
credited  the  tale  that  in  this,  the  beautiful  land  of  his  imag- 
ination, there  existed  a  fountain  whose  waters  could  restore 
youth  to  palsied  age,  and  beauty  to  efface  the  marks  of  time. 

The  story  ran  that  far  to  the  north  there  existed  a  land 
abounding  in  gold  and  all  manner  of  desirable  things,  but, 
above  all,  possessing  a  river  and  springs  of  so  remarkable  a 
virtue  that  their  waters  would  confer  immortal  youth  on 
whoever  bathed  in  them  ;  that  upon  a  time  a  considerable 
expedition  of  the  Indians  of  Cuba  had  departed  northward 
in  search  of  this  beautiful  country  and  these  waters  of  im- 
mortality, who  had  never  returned,  and  who,  it  was  suppo- 
sed, were  in  a  renovated  state,  still  enjoying  the  felicities  of 
the  happy  land. 

Furthermore,  Peter  Martyr  affirms,  in  his  second  decade, 
addressed  to  the  Pope,  "  that  among  the  islands  on  the 
north  side  of  Hispaniola,  there  is  one  about  three  hundred 
and  twenty-five  leagues  distant,  as  they  say  which  have 
searched  the  same,  in  the  which  is  a  continual  spring  of 
running  water,  of  such  marvelous  virtue  that  the  water 
thereof  being  drunk,  perhaps  with  some  diet,  maketh  old 
men  j^oung  again.  And  here  I  must  make  protestation  to 
your  Holiness  not  to  think  this  to  be  said  lightly,  or  rashly  ; 
for  they  have  so  spread  this  rumor  for  a  truth  throughout 
all  the  court,  that  not  only  all  the  people,  but  also  many  of 
them  whom  wisdom  or  fortune  have  divided  from  the  com- 
mon sort,  think  it  to  be  true."  *      Thoroughly  believing  in 

*  The  fountain  of  youth  is  a  very  ancient  fable  ;  and  the  reader  will  be 
reminded  of  the  amusing  story  of  the  accomplishment  of  this  miracle,  told 
in  Hawthorne's  Twice-Told  Tales,  and  of  the  marvelous  effects  produced 
by  imbibing  this  celebrated  spring  water. 


12  THE    HISTORY   AND   ANTIQUITIES 

the  verity  of  this  pleasant  account,  this  gallant  cavalier 
Utted  out  an  expedition  from  Porto  Rico,  and  in  the  progress 
of  his  search  came  upon  the  coast  of  Florida,  on  Easter 
Monday,  1512,  supposing  then,  and  for  a  long  period  after- 
wards, that  it  was  an  island.  Partly  in  consequence  of  the 
bright  spring  verdure  and  flowery  plains  that  met  his  eye, 
and  the  magnificence  of  the  magnolia,  the  bay  and  the  lau- 
rel, and  partly  in  honor  of  the  day,  Pascua  Florida,  or  P^lm 
Sunday,  and  reminded,  probably,  of  its  appropriateness  by 
the  profusion  of  the  cabbage  palms  near  the  point  of  his 
landing,  he  gave  to  the  country  the  name  of  Florida. 

On  the  3d  of  April,  1512,  three  hundred  and  fifty-five 
years  ago,  he  landed  a  few  miles  north  of  St.  Augustine, 
and  took  possession  of  the  country  for  the  Spanish  crown. 
He  found  the  natives  fierce  and  implacable  ;  and  after  ex- 
ploring the  country  for  some  distance  around,  and  trying 
the  virtue  of  all  the  streams,  and  growing  neither  younger 
nor  handsomer,  he  left  the  country  without  making  a  per- 
manent settlement. 

The  subsequent  explorations  of  Narvaez,  in  1526,  and  of 
De  Soto,  in  1539,  were  made  in  another  portion  of  our 
State,  and  do  not  bear  immediately  upon  the  subject  of  our 
investigation,  although  forming  a  most  interesting  portion 
of  our  general  history. 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  13 


CHAPTER  III. 

RIBAULT,  LAUDONNIERE,  AND  MENENDEZ SETTLEMENTS  OF  THE 

HUGUENOTS,   AND   FOUNDATION   OF   ST.   AUGUSTINE. 
1562—1565—1568. 

The  settlement  of  Florida  had  its  origin  in  the  religious 
troubles  experienced  by  the  Huguenots  under  Charles  IX. 
in  France. 

Their  distinguished  leader,  Admiral  Coligny,  as  early  as 
1555  projected  colonies  in  America,  and  sent  an  expedition 
to  Brazil,  which  proved  unsuccessful.  Having  procured 
permission  from  Charles  IX.  to  found  a  colony  in  Florida — 
a  designation  which  embraced  in  rather  an  indefinite  man- 
ner the  whole  country  from  the  Chesapeake  to  the  Tortugas — 
he  sent  an  expedition  in  1562  from  France,  under  command 
of  Jean  Ribault,  composed  of  many  young  men  of  good 
family.  They  first  landed  at  the  iSt.  John's  River,  where 
they  erected  a  monument,  but  finally  established  a  settle- 
ment at  Port  Royal,  South  Carolina,  and  erected  a  fort. 
After  some  months,  however,  in  consequence  of  dissensions 
among  the  officers  of  the  garrison,  and  difliculties  with  the 
Indians,  this  settlement  was  abandoned. 

In  1564  another  expedition  came  out  under  the  command 
of  Rene  de  Laudonniere,  and  made  their  first  landing  at 
the  River  of  Dolphins,  being  the  present  harbor  of  St.  Au- 
gustine, and  so  named  by  them  in  consequence  of  the  great 
number  of  Dolphins  (Porpoises)  seen  by  them  at  its  mouth. 
They  afterwards  coasted  to  the  north,  and  entered  the  River 
St.  Johns,  called  by  them  the  River  May. 

Upon  an  examination  of  this  river,  Laudonniere  conclu- 
ded to  establish  his  colony  on  its  banks;  and  proceeding 
about  two  leagues  above  its  mouth,  built  a  fort  upon  a  pleas- 
ant hill  of  "  mean  height,"  which,  in  honor  of  his  sovereign, 
he  named  Fort  Caroline. 

The  colonists  after  a  few  months  were  reduced  to  great 
distress,  and  were  about  taking  measures  to  abandon  the 
country  a  second  time,  when  Ribault  arrived  with  reinforce- 
ments. 


14  THE    HISTORY   AND   ANTIQUITIES 

It  is  supposed  that  intelligence  of  these  expeditions  was 
communicated  by  the  enemies  of  Coligny  to  the  court  of 
Spain. 

Jealousy  of  the  aggrandizement  of  the  French  in  the 
New  World,  mortification  for  their  own  unsuccessful  efforts 
in  that  quarter,  and  a  still  stronger  motive  of  liatred  to  the 
faith  of  the  Huguenot,  induced  the  bigoted  Philip  11.  of  Spain, 
to  dispatch  Pedro  Menendez  de  Aviles,  a  brave,  bigoted  and 
remorseless  soldier,  to  drive  out  the  French  colony,  and  take 
possession  of  the  country  for  himself. 

The  compact  made  between  the  Kingand  Menendez  was, 
that  he  should  furnish  one  galleon  completely  equipped,  and 
provisions  for  a  force  of  six  hundred  men  ;  that  he  should 
conquer  and  settle  the  country.  He  obligated  himselfto 
carry  one  hundred  horses,  two  hundred  horned  cattle,  four 
hundred  hogs,  four  hundred  sheep  and  some  goats,  and  five 
hundred  slaves,  (for  which  he  had  a  permission  free  of  du- 
ties), the  third  part  of  which  should  be  men,  tor  his  own  ser- 
vice and  that  of  those  who  went  with  him,  to  aid  in  cultiva- 
ting the  land  and  building.  That  he  should  take  twelve 
priests,  and  four  fathers  of  the  Jesuit  order.  He  was  to  build 
two  or  three  towns  of  one  hundred  families,  and  in  each  town 
should  build  a  fort  according  to  the  nature  of  the  country. 
He  was  to  have  the  title  of  Adelantado  of  the  country,  as  also 
to  be  entitled  a  Marquis,  and  his  heirs  after  him,  to  have  a 
tract  of  land,  receive  a  salary  of  2,000  ducats,  a  percentage  of 
the  royal  duties,  and  have  the  freedom  of  all  the  other  ports 
of  New  Spain.* 

His  force  consisted,  at  starting,  of  eleven  sail  of  vessels, 
with  two  thousand  and  six  hundred  men  ;  but,  owing  to 
storms  and  accidents,  not  more  than  one  half  arrived.  He 
came  upon  the  coast  on  the  28th  August,  1565,  shortly  after 
the  arrival  of  the  fleet  of  Ilibault.  On  the  7th  day  of  Septem- 
ber, Menendez  cast  anchor  in  the  River  of  Dol[)hins,  the  har- 
bor of  St.  Augustine.  He  had  previously  discovered  and 
given  chase  to  some  of  the  vessels  of  Ribault,  off  the  mouth 
of  the  River  May.  The  Indian  village  of  Selooe  then  stood 
upon  the  site  of  St.  Augustine,  and  the  landing  of  Menen- 
dez was  upon  the  spot  where  the  city  of  St.  Augustine  now 
stands. 

Fray  Francisco  Lopez  de  Mendoza,  the  Chaplain  of  the 
Expedition,  thus  chronicles  the  disembarkation  and  attend- 
ant ceremonies  : — 

"  On  Saturday  the  8th  day  of  September,  the  day  of  the  nativity 

*  Barcia  Ensayo,  Cron.  66. 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  15 

of  our  Lady,  the  General  disembarked,  with  numerous  banners  dis- 
played, trumpets  and  other  martial  music  resounding,  and  amid  salvos 
of  artillery. 

"  Carrying  a  cross,  I  proceeded  at  the  head,  chanting  the  hymn  Te 
Deiun  Laudamus.  The  General  marched  straight  up  to  the  cross, 
together  with  all  those  who  accompanied  him ;  and,  kneeling,  they  all 
kissed  the  cross.  A  great  number  of  Indians  looked  upon  these  cere- 
monies, and  imitated  whatever  they  saw  done.  Thereupon  the  General 
took  possession  of  the  country  in  the  name  of  his  Majesty.  All  the 
officers  then  took  an  oath  of  allegiance  to  him,  as  their  general,  and  as 
adelantado  of  the  whole  country." 

The  name  of  St.  Augustine  was  given,  in  the  usual  man- 
ner of  the  early  voyagers,  because  they  had  arrived  upon 
the  coast  on  the  day  dedicated  in  their  calendar  to  that  emi- 
nent saint  of  the  jDrimitive  church,  revered  alike  by  the 
good  of  all  ages  for  his  learning  and  piety. 

The  first  troops  who  landed,  says  Mendoza,  were  well 
received  by  the  Indians,  who  gave  them  a  large  mansion 
belonging  to  the  chief,  situated  near  the  banks  of  the  river. 
The  engineer  officers  immediately  erected  an  entrenchment 
of  earth,  and  a  ditch  around  this  house,  with  a  slope  made 
of  earth  a!id  fascines,  these  being  the  only  means  of  defense 
which  the  country  presents ;  for,  says  the  father  with  sur- 
prise, "there  is  not  a  stone  to  be  found  in  the  whole 
country."  They  landed  eighty  cannon  from  the  ships,  of 
which  the  lio;htest  weiirhed  two  thousand  five  hundred 
pounds. 

But  in  the  mean  time  Menendez  had  by  no  means  forgot- 
ten the  errand  upon  which  he  principally  came ;  and  by 
inquiries  of  the  Indians  he  soon  learned  the  position  of  the 
French  fort  and  the  condition  of  its  defenders.  Impelled 
by  necessity,  Laudonniere  had  been  forced  to  seize  from  the 
Indians  food  to  supply  his  famished  garrison,  and  had  thus  - 
incurred  their  enmity,  which  was  soon  to  produce  its  sad 
results. 

The  Spaniards  numbered  about  six  hundred  combatants, 
and  the  French  about  the  same  ;  but  arrangements  had  been 
made  for  further  accessions  to  the  Spanish  force,  to  be  drawn 
from  St.  Domingo  and  Havana,  and  these  were  daily  ex- 
pected. 

It  was  the  habit  of  those  days  to  devolve  almost  every 
event  upon  the  ordering  of  a  special  providence  ;  and  each 
nation  had  come  to  look  upon  itself  almost  in  the  light  of 
a  peculiar  people,  led  like  the  Israelites  of  old  by  signs  and 
wonders  ;  and  as  in  their  own  view  all  their  actions  were 
directed  by  the  design  of  advancing  God's  glory  as  well  as 


16  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

their  own  purposes,  so  the  blessing  of  Heaven  would  surely 
accompany  them  in  all  their  undertakings. 

So  believed  the  Crusaders  on  the  plains  of  Palestine  ;  so 
believed  the  conquerors  of  Mexico  and  Peru  ;  so  believed 
the  Puritan  settlers  of  New  England  (alike  in  their  Indian 
wars  and  their  oppressive  social  polity)  ;  and  so  believed, 
also,  the  followers  of  Menendez  and  of  Ribault ;  and  in 
this  simple  and  trusting  faith,  the  worthy  chaplain  gives  us 
the  following  account  of  the  miraculous  escape  and  deliv- 
erance of  a  portion  of  the  Spanish  fleet : — 

"  God  and  his  Holy  Mother  have  performed  another  great  miracle 
in  our  favor.  The  day  following  the  landing  of  the  General  in  the 
fort,  he  said  to  us  that  he  was  very  uneasy  because  his  galley  and  an- 
other vessel  were  at  anchor,  isolated  and  a  league  at  sea,  being  unable 
to  enter  the  port  on  account  of  the  shallowness  of  the  water;  and  that 
he  feared  that  the  French  might  come  and  capture  or  maltreat  them. 
As  soon  as  this  idea  came  to  him  he  departed,  with  fifty  men,  to  go  on 
board  of  his  galleon.  He  gave  orders  to  three  shallops  which  were 
moored  in  the  river  to  go  out  and  take  on  board  the  provisions  and 
troops  which  were  on  board  the  galleon.  The  next  day,  a  shallop 
having  gone  out  thither,  they  took  on  board  as  much  of  the  provisions 
as  they  could,  and  more  than  a  hundred  men  who  were  in  the  vessel, 
and  returned  towards  the  shore  ;  but  half  a  league  before  arriving  at 
the  bar  they  were  overtaken  by  so  complete  a  calm  that  they  were  un- 
able to  proceed  i'urther,  and  thereupon  cast  anchor  and  passed  the  night 
in  that  place.  The  day  following  at  break  of  day  they  raised  anchor 
as  ordered  by  the  pilot,  as  the  rising  of  the  tide  began  to  be  felt. 
When  it  was  fully  light  they  saw  astern  of  them  at  the  poop  of  the 
vessel,  two  French  ships  which  during  the  night  had  been  in  search  of 
them.  The  enemy  arrived  with  the  intention  of  making  an  attack 
upon  us.  The  French  made  all  haste  in  their  movements,  for  we  had 
no  arms  on  board,  and  had  only  embarked  the  provisions.  When  day 
appeared,  and  our  people  discovered  the  French,  they  addressed  their 
prayers  to  our  I^ady  of  Bon  JS''conrs  (f'L'frera,  and  supplicated  her  to 
grant  them  a  little  wind,  for  the  French  were  already  close  up  to  them. 
They  say  that  Our  Lndy  descended,  herself,  upon  the  vessel ;  for  the 
wind  freshened  and  blew  fair  for  the  bar,  so  that  the  shallop  could 
enter  it.  The  French  followed  it ;  but  as  the  bar  has  but  little  depth 
and  their  vessels  were  large,  they  were  not  able  to  go  over  it,  so  that 
our  men  and  the  provisions  made  a  safe  harbor.  When  it  became  still 
clearer  they  perceived  besides  the  two  vessels  of  the  enemy,  four  others 
at  a  distance,  being  the  same  which  we  had  seen  in  port  the  evening 
of  our  arrival.  They  were  well  furnished  with  both  troops  and  artil- 
lery, and  had  directed  themselves  for  our  galleon  and  the  other  ship, 
which  were  alone  at  sea.  In  this  circunistance  God  accorded  us  two 
favors.  The  first  was,  that  the  same  evening  after  they  had  discharged 
the  provisions  and  the  troops  I  have  spoken  of,  at  midnight  the  galleon 
and  other  vessel  put  to  sea  without  being  perceived  by  the   enemy ; 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  17 

the  one  for  Spain,  and  the  other  for  Havana,  for  the  purpose  of  seek- 
ing the  fleet  which  was  there  ;  and  in  this  way  neither  was  taken. 

"  The  second  favor,  by  which  God  rendered  us  a  still  greater  service, 
was  that  on  the  day  following  the  one  I  have  described  there  arose  a 
storm,  and  so  great  a  tempest  that  certainly  the  greater  part  of  the 
French  vessels  must  have  been  lost  at  sea ;  for  they  were  overtaken 
upon  the  most  dangerous  coast  I  have  ever  seen,  and  were  very  close 
to  the  shore  ;  and  if  our  vessels,  that  is,  the  galleon  and  its  consort,  are 
not  shipwrecked,  it  is  because  they  were  already  more  than  twelve 
leagues  off  the  coast,  which  gave  them  the  facility  of  running  before 
the  wind,  and  maneuvering  as  well  as  they  could,  relying  upon  the  aid 
of  God  to  preserve  them."  * 

Menendez  had  ascertained  from  the  Indians  that  a  large 
number  of  the  French  troops  had  embarked  on  board  of  the 
vessels  which  he  had  seen  oif  the  harbor,  and  he  had  good 
ground  for  believins:  that  these  vessels  would  either  be  cast 
helpless  upon  the  shore,  or  be  driven  off  by  the  tempest  to 
such  a  distance  as  would  render  their  return  for  some  days 
impossible.  He  at  once  conceived  the  project  of  attacking 
the  French  fort  upon  the  river  May,  by  land. 

A  council  of  war  was  held,  and  after  some  discussion,  for 
the  most  part  adverse  to  the  plan  proposed  by  him,  Menen- 
dez spoke  as  follows  : 

"  Gentlemen  and  Brothers  !  we  have  before  us  now  an  opportunity 
which  if  improved  by  us  will  have  a  happy  result.  I  am  satisfied  that 
the  French  fleet  which  four  days  since  fled  from  me,  and  has  now 
come  to  seek  me,  has  been  reinforced  with  the  larger  part  of  the  gar- 
rison of  their  fort,  to  which,  nor  to  port,  will  they  be  able  to  return  for 
many  days  according  to  appearances  ;  and  since  they  are  all  Lutherans, 
as  we  learned  before  we  sailed  from  Spain,  by  the  edicts  which  Jean 
Eibault  published  before  embarking,  in  order  that  no  Catholic  at  the 
peril  of  his  life  should  go  in  his  fleet,  nor  any  Catholic  books  be  taken  ; 
and  this  they  themselves  declared  to  us  the  night  they  fled  from  us, 
and  hence  our  war  must  be  to  blood  and  fire,  not  only  on  account  of 
the  orders  we  are  under,  but  because  they  have  sought  us  in  order  to 
destroy  us,  that  we  should  not  plant  our  holy  religion  in  these  regions, 
and  to  establish  their  own  abominable  and  crazy  sect  among  the  Indi- 
ans ;  so  that  the  more  promptly  we  shall  punish  them,  we  shall  the 

*  The  galleon  spoken  of  was  Menendez's  own  flag  ship,  the  El  Pelayo, 
the  largest  vessel  in  his  fleet,  fitted  out  at  his  own  expense,  and  which  had 
brought  four  hundred  men.  He  had  put  on  hoard  of  her  a  lieutenant  and 
some  soldiers,  besides  fifteen  Lutherans  as  prisoners,  whom  he  was  sending 
home  to  the  Inquisition  at  Seville.  The  orders  to  his  ofiicers  were  to  go  as 
speedily  as  possible  to  the  island  of  Hispaniola,  to  bring  provisions  and 
additional  forces.  Upon  the  passage,  the  Lutheran  prisoners,  with  some 
Levantine  sailors,  rose  upon  the  Spaniards,  killed  the  commander,  and  car- 
ried the  vessel  into  Denmark.  Menendez  was  much  chagrined  when  he 
ascertained  the  fate  of  his  favorite  galleon,  a  long  period  afterwards. 

2 


18  THE    HISTORY    AND   ANTIQUITIES 

more  speedily  do  a  service  to  our  God  and  our  king,  and  comply  with 
our  conscience  and  our  duty. 

"  To  accomplish  this,  we  must  choose  five  hundred  arquebuse  men 
and  pikemen,  and  carry  provisions  in  our  knapsacks  for  eight  days, 
divided  into  ten  companies,  each  one  with  its  standard  and  its  captain, 
and  go  with  this  force  by  land  to  examine  the  settlements  and  fort  of 
our  enemies ;  and  as  no  one  knows  the  road,  I  will  guide  you  within 
two  points  by  a  mariner's  compass;  and  where  we  cannot  get  along, 
we  will  open  a  way  with  our  axes;  and  moreover,  I  have  with  me  a 
Frenchman  who  has  been  more  than  a  year  at  their  fort,  and  who  says 
he  knows  the  ground  for  two  leagues  around  the  fort. 

"  If  we  shall  arrive  without  discovery,  it  may  be  that  falling  upon 
it  at  daylight  we  may  take  it,  by  planting  upon  it  twenty  scaling  lad- 
ders, at  the  cost  of  fifty  lives.  If  we  are  discovered,  we  can  form  in 
the  shelter  of  the  wood,  which  I  am  assured  is  not  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  league  distant,  and  planting  there  ten  standards,  send  forward  a 
trumpeter  requiring  them  to  leave  the  fort  and  the  country,  and  return 
to  their  own  country,  oflPering  them  ships  and  provisions  for  the  voyage. 
They  will  imagine  that  we  have  a  much  greater  army  with  us,  and  they 
may  surrender ;  and  if  they  do  not,  we  shall  at  least  accomplish  that 
they  will  leave  us  undisturbed  in  this  our  own  settlement,  and  we  shall 
know  the  way,  so  that  we  may  return  to  destroy  them  the  succeeding 
spring." 

After  some  discussion  it  was  concluded  that  after  hearinor 
mass  they  should  undertake  the  expedition  on  the  third  day. 
Considerable  opposition  was  manifested  on  the  part  of  the 
officers  ;  but,  with  a  consummate  knowledge  of  human  na- 
ture, the  Adelantado  got  up  the  most  splendid  dinner  in  his 
power,  and  invited  his  recreant  officers  to  the  repast,  and 
dexterously  appealed  to  their  fears,  as  well  as  their  pride, 
and  overcame  their  reluctance  to  undortake  the  unknown 
dangers  of  a  first  march  through  Florida  at  a  wetseason,  an 
actual  acquaintance  with  which  would  still  more  have  damp- 
ened their  ardor. 

The  troops  assembled  promptly  upon  the  day  appointed, 
at  the  sound  of  the  trumi)ct,  the  fife  and  the  drum,  and  they 
all  went  to  hear  mass,  except  Juan  de  Vicente,  who  said 
he  had  a  disorder  of  the  stomach,  and  in  his  leg  ;  and  when 
some  friends  wished  to  urge  his  coming,  he  replied  :  "  I  vow 
to  God,  that  I  will  wait  until  the  news  comes  that  our  force 
is  entirely  cut  ofi:',  when  we  who  remain  will  embark  in  our 
three  vessels,  and  go  to  the  Indies,  where  there  will  be  no 
necessity  of  our  all  perishing  like  beasts." 

This  Juan  Vicente  seems  to  have  been  an  apt  specimen 
of  a  class  of  croakers  not  peculiar  to  any  age  or  country. 
Of  his  future  history  the  chronicle  gives  other  instances  of 
a  similar  spirit ;  and  his  sole  claim  to  immortality,  like  that 
of  many  an  other,  is  founded  upon  his  impudence. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  19 


CHAPTER   lY. 


THE  ATTACK  ON  FOET  CAKOLINE— 1565. 

The  troops,  having  heard  mass,  marched  out  in  order,  pre- 
ceded by  twenty  Biscaj-ans  and  Asturians  having  as  their 
captain  Martin  de  Ochoa,  a  leader  of  great  fidelity  and  bra- 
very, furnished  with  axes  to  open  a  road  where  they  could 
not  get  along.  At  this  moment  there  arrived  two  Indians, 
who  said  that  they  had  been  at  the  fort  six  days  before,  and 
who  "seemed  like  angels  "  to  the  soldiers,  sent  to  guide 
their  march.  Halting  for  refreshment  and  rest  wherever 
suitable  places  could  be  found,  and  the  Adelantado  always 
with  the  vanguard,  in  four  days  they  reached  the  vicinity  of 
the  fort,  and  came  up  within  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  league 
of  it,  concealed  by  a  grove  of  pine  trees.  It  rained  heavily, 
and  a  severe  storm  prevailed.  The  place  where  they  had 
halted  was  a  very  bad  one,  and  very  marshy  ;  but  he  deci- 
ded to  stop  there,  and  w^eut  back  to  seek  the  rearguard,  lest 
theymight  lose  the  way. 

About  ten  at  night  the  last  of  the  troops  arrived,  very 
wet  indeed,  for  there  had  been  much  rain  during  the  four 
days ;  they  had  passed  marshes  with  the  water  rising  to  their 
waists,  and  every  night  there  was  so  great  a  flood  that  they 
were  in  great  danger  of  losing  their  powder,  their  match- 
fire,  and  their  biscuit;  and  they  became  desperate,  cursing 
those  who  had  brought  them  there,  and  themselves  for 
CO  mi  no;. 

Menendez  pretended  not  to  hear  their  complaints,  not 
daring  to  call  a  council  as  to  proceeding  or  returning,  for 
both  officers  and  soldiers  went  forward  very  inquietly.  Re- 
maining firm  in  his  own  resolve,  two  hours  before  dawn  he 
called  together  the  Master  of  the  Camp  and  the  Captains  to 
whom  he  said  that  during  the  whole  night  he  had  sought  of 
God  and  his  most  Holy  Mother  that  they  w^ould  favor  him 
and  instruct  him  what  he  should  do  most  advantageous  for 
their  holy  service  ;  and  he  was  persuaded  that  they  had  all 
done  the  same.  "But  now.  Gentlemen,"  he  proceeded, 
"  we  must  make  some  determination,  finding  ourselves  ex- 


20  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

hausted,  lost,  without  ammunition  or  provisions,  and  without 
the  hope  of  relief." 

Some  answered  very  promptly,  ""Why  should  they  waste 
their  time  in  giving  reasons  ?  for,  unless  they  returned 
quickly  to  St.  Augustine,  they  would  be  reduced  to  eating 
palmettos  ;*  and  the  longer  they  delayed,  the  greater  trouble 
they  would  have." 

The  Adelantado  said  to  them  that  what  they  said  seemed 
very  reasonable,  but  he  would  ask  of  them  to  hear  some 
reasons  to  the  contrary,  without  being  offended,  lie  then 
proceeded — after  having  smoothed  down  their  somewhat 
ruffled  dispositions,  considerably  disturbed  by  their  first  ex- 
perience in  encountering  the  hardships  of  such  a  march — to 
show  them  that  the  danger  of  retreat  was  then  greater  than 
an  advance  would  be,  as  they  would  lose  alike  the  respect 
of  their  friends  and  foes.  That  if,  on  the  contrary,  they 
attacked  the  fort,  whether  they  succeeded  in  taking  it  or 
not,  they  would  gain  honor  and  reputation. 

Stimulated  by  the  speech  of  their  General,  they  demanded 
to  be  led  to  the  attack,  and  the  arrangements  for  the  assault 
were  at  once  made.  Their  French  prisoner  was  placed  in 
the  advance  ;  but  the  darkness  of  the  night  and  the  severity 
of  the  storm  rendered  it  impossible  to  proceed,  and  they 
halted  in  a  marsh,  with  the  water  up  to  their  knees,  to  await 
daylight. 

At  dawn  the  Frenchman  recognized  the  country,  and  the 
place  were  they  were,  and  where  stood  the  fort ;  upon  which 
the  Adelantado  ordered  them  to  march,  enjoining  upon  all, 
at  the  peril  of  their  lives,  to  follow  him ;  and  coming  to  a 
small  hill,  the  Frenchman  said  that  behind  that  stood  the 
fort,  about  three  bow-shots  distant,  but  lower  down,  near 
the  river.  The  General  put  the  Frenchman  into  the  custody 
of  Castaneda.  He  went  up  a  little  higher,  and  saw  the  river 
and  one  of  the  houses,  but  he  was  not  able  to  discover  the 
fort,  although  it  was  adjoining  them  ;  and  he  returned  to 
Castaneda,  with  whom  now  stood  the  Master  of  the  Camp 
and  Ochoa,  and  said  to  them  that  he  wished  to  go  lower 
down,  near  to  the  houses  which  stood  behind  the  hill,  to  see 
the  fortress  and  the  garrison,  for,  as  the  sun  was  now  up, 
they  could  not  attack  the  fort  without  a  reconnoisance. 
This  the  Master  of  the  Camp  would  not  permit  him  to  do, 
saying  this  dut}-  appertained  to  him  ;  and  he  went  alone  with 
Ochoa  near  to  the  houses,  from  whence  they  discovered  the 
fort;  and  returning  with  their  information,  they  came  to 

*A  low  palm,  bearing  an  oily  berry. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  21 

two  paths,  and  leaving  the  one  by  which  they  came,  they 
took  the  other.  The" Master  of  the  Camp  discovered  his 
error,  coming  to  a  fallen  tree,  and  turned  his  face  to  inform 
Ochoa,  who  was  following  him  ;  and  as  they  turned  to  seek 
the  right  path,  he  stopped  in  advance,  and  the  sentinel  dis- 
covered them,  who  imagined  them  to  be  French  ;  but  exam- 
ining them  he  perceived  they  were  unknown  to  him.  He 
hailed,  "Who  goes  there?"  Ochoa  answered,  "French- 
men." The  sentinel  was  confirmed  in  his  supposition  that 
the}"  were  his  own  people,  and  approached  them  ;  Ochoa  did 
the  same ;  but  seeing  they  were  not  French,  the  sentinel 
retreated.  Ochoa  closed  with  him,  and  with  his  drawn 
sword  gave  him  a  cut  over  the  head,  but  did  not  hurt  him 
much,  as  the  sentinel  fended  off  the  blow  with  his  sword  ; 
and  the  Master  of  the  Camp  coming  up  at  this  moment, 
gave  him  a  thrust,  from  which  he  fell  backwards,  making  a 
loud  outcry.  The  Master  of  the  Camp,  putting  his  sword 
to  his  breast,  threatened  him  with  instant  death  unless  he 
kept  silence.  They  tied  him  thereupon,  and  took  him  to 
the  General,  who,  hearing  the  noise,  thought  the  Master  of 
the  Camp  was  being  killed,  and  meeting  with  the  Sergeant- 
major,  Francisco  de  Recalde,  Diego  de  Ma3'a,  and  Andres 
Lopez  Patino,  with  their  standards  and  soldiers,  without  be- 
ing able  to  restrain  himself,  he  cried  out,  "  Santiago  !  Upon 
them  !  Help  of  God,  Victory  !  The  French  are  destroyed. 
The  Master  of  the  Camp  is  in  their  fort,  and  has  taken' it." 
Upon  which,  all  rushed  forward  in  the  path  without  order, 
the  General  remaining  behind,  repeathig  what  he  had  said 
many  times :  himself  believing  it  to  be  certain  that  the 
Master  of  the  Camp  had  taken  with  him  a  considerable 
force,  and  had  captured  the  fort. 

So  great  was  the  joy  of  the  soldiers,  and  such  their  speed, 
that  they  soon  came  up  with  the  Master  of  the  Camp  and 
Ochoa,  who  was  hastening  to  receive  the  reward  of  carrying 
the  good  news  to  the  General  of  the  capture  of  the  sentineL 
But  the  Master  of  the  Camp,  seeing  the  spirit  which  ani- 
mated the  soldiers,  killed  the  sentinel,  and  cried  out  with  a 
loud  voice  to  those  who  were  pressing  forward,  "  Comrades  ! 
do  as  I  do.  God  is  with  us  ;"  and  turned,  running  towards 
the  fort,  and  meeting  two  Frenchmen  on  the  way,  he  killed 
one  of  them,  and  Andres  Lopez  Patino  the  other.  Those 
in  the  environs  of  the  fort,  seeing  this  tragedy  enacted,  set 
up  loud  outcries  ;  and  in  order  to  know  the  cause  of  the 
alarm,  one  of  the  Frenchmen  within  opened  the  postern  of 
the  principal  gate,  which  he  had  no  sooner  done  than  it  was 


/ 


22  THE    HISTORY   AND   ANTIQUITIES 

observed  b}-  tlie  Master  of  the  Camp  ;  and  throwing  himself 
upon  him,  he  killed  him,  and  entered  the  gate,  followed  by 
the  most  active  of  his  followers. 

The  French,  awakened  by  the  clamor,  some  dressed, 
others  in  their  night-clothes,  rushed  to  the  doors  of  their 
houses  to  see  what  had  happened  ;  but  they  were  all  killed, 
except  sixty  of  the  more  wary,  who  escaped  by  leaping  the 
walls. 

Immediately  the  standards  of  the  Sergeant-major  and  of 
Diego  Mayo  were  brought  in,  and  set  upby  Rodrigo  Troche 
and  Pedro  Valdes  Herrera,  with  two  cavaliers,  at  the  same 
moment.  These  being  hoisted,  the  trumpets  proclaimed  the 
victory,  and  the  bands  of  soldiers  who  had  entered  opened 
the  gates  and  sought  the  quarters,  leaving  no  Frenchman 
alive. 

The  Adelantado  hearing  the  cries,  left  Castaneda  in  his 
place  to  collect  the  people  who  had  not  come  up,  w4io  were 
at  least  half  the  force,  and  went  himself  to  see  if  they  were 
in  any  danger.  He  arrived  at  the  fort  running  ;  and  as  he 
perceived  that  the  soldiers  gave  no  quarter  to  any  of  the 
French,  he  shouted,  "  That  at  the  penalty  of  their  lives 
they  should  neither  wound  nor  kill  any  woman,  cripple,  or 
child  under  lifteen  years  of  age."  By  which  seventy  per- 
sons were  saved ;  the  rest  were  all  killed  ! 

Renato  de  Laudonniere,  the  Commander  of  the  fort, 
escaped  with  his  servant  and  some  twenty  or  thirty  others, 
to  a  vessel  lying  in  the  river. 

Such  is  the  Spanish  chronicle,  contained  in  Barcia,  of  the 
capture  of  Fort  Caroline.  Its  details  in  the  main  correspond 
with  the  account  of  Laudonniere,  and  of  Nicolas  Challeux, 
the  author  of  the  letter  printed  at  Lyons,  in  France,  under 
date  of  August,  1566,  by  Jean  Sangrain.  In  some  impor- 
tant particulars,  however,  the  historians  disagree.  It  has 
l)een  already  seen  that  Menendez  is  represented  as  having 
given  orders  to  spare  all  the  women,  maimed  persons,  and 
lill  children  under  fifteen  years  of  age.  The  French  rela- 
tions of  the  event,  on  the  contrary,  allege  that  an  indiscrimi- 
nate slaughter  took  place,  and  that  all  were  massacred 
without  respect  to  age,  sex,  or  condition  ;  but  as  this  state- 
ment is  principally  made  upon  the  authority  of  a  terrified 
and  fiying  soldier,  it  is  alike  due  to  the  probabilities  of  the 
case,  and  more  agreeable  to  the  hopes  of  humanit}-,  to  les- 
sen somewhat  the  horrors  of  a  scene  which  has  need  of  all 
the  palliation  that  can  be  drawn  from  the  slightest  evidences 
of  compassion  on  the  part  of  that  stern  and  bigoted  leader. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  23 

The  Spanish  statement  is  further  confirmed  by  other  wri- 
ters, who  speak  of  a  vessel  being  dispatched  by  Menendez 
subsequently  to  carry  the  survivors  to  Spain. 


24  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 


CHAPTER    V. 

ESCAPE    OF   LAUDONNIERE    AND   OTHERS   FROM    FORT    CAROLINE. 
ADVENTURES   OF    THE    FUGITIVES. 

The  narratives  of  this  event  are  found  singularly  full, 
there  being  no  less  than  three  accounts  by  fugitives  from 
the  massacre.  The  most  complete  of  these  is  that  of  Nicolas 
de  Challeux,  a  native  of  Dieppe,  which  was  published  in 
the  following  year.  I  have  largely  transcribed  from  this 
quaint  and  curious  narrative,  not  onl}-  an  account  of  the 
fullness  of  the  details,  but  also  for  the  light  it  throws  upon 
the  habits  of  thought  and  modes  of  expression  of  that  day, 
when  so  much  was  exhibited  of  an  external  religious  faith, 
and  so  many  were  found  who  would  fight  for  their  faith 
when  they  refused  to  adhere  to  its  requirements.  There 
are  apparent,  also,  a  close  study  of  the  Scriptures,  a  great 
familiarity  with  its  language,  a  frequent  use  of  its  illustra- 
tions, and  a  disposition  to  attribute  all  things,  with  a 
reverent  piety,  to  the  direct  personal  supervitiion  of  the 
Almighty.  By  the  aid  of  a  map  of  the  St.  John's  River, 
it  will  not  be  difficult  to  trace  the  perilous  route  of  escape 
pursued  by  De  Challeux  and  his  companions,  over  obstacles 
much  magnified  by  the  terror  of  the  moment  and  want  of 
familiarity  with  the  country: — 

"  The  number  of  persons  in  the  fort  was  two  hundred  and  forty, 
partly  of  those  who  had  not  recovered  from  sea-sickness,  partly  of 
artisans  and  of  women  and  children  left  to  the  care  and  diligence  of 
Captain  Laudonnicrc,  who  had  no  expectation  that  it  was  possible  that 
any  force  could  approach  by  land  to  attack  him.  On  which  account 
the  guards  had  withdrawn  for  the  purpose  of  refreshing  themselves  a 
little  before  sunrise,  on  account  of  the  bad  weather  which  had  con- 
tinued during  the  whole  night,  most  of  our  people  being  at  the  time 
in  their  beds  sleeping.  The  wicket  gate  open,  the  Spanish  force, 
having  traversed  forests,  swamps,  and  rivers,  arrived  at  break  of  day, 
Friday,  the  20th  September,  the  weather  very  stormy,  and  entered 
the  fort  without  any  resistance,  and  made  a  horrible  satisfaction  of 
the  rage  and  hate  they  had  conceived  against  our  nation.  It  was 
then  who  should  best  kill  the  most  men,  sick  and  well,  women  and 
little  children,  in  such  a  manner  that  it  is  impossible  to  conceive  of  a 
massacre  which  could  equal  this  for  its  barbarity  and  cruelty. 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  25 

"Some  of  the  more  active  of  our  people,  jumping  from  their  beds, 
slipped  out  and  escaped  to  the  vessel  in  the  river.  I  was  myself  sur- 
prised, going  to  my  duty  with  my  clasp-knife  in  my  hand;  for  upon 
leaving  my  cabin,  I  met  the  enemy,  and  saw  no  other  means  of  escape 
but  turning  my  back,  and  making  the  utmost  possible  haste  to  lead 
over  the  palisades,  for  I  was  closely  pursued,  step  by  step,  by  a  pike- 
man  and  one  with  a  partisan ;  and  I  do  not  know  how  it  was,  unless 
by  the  grace  of  God,  that  my  strength  was  redoubled,  old  man  as  I 
am  and  grey-headed,  a  thing  which  at  any  other  time  I  could  not  have 
done,  for  the  rampart  was  raised  eight  or  nine  feet;  I  then  hastened 
to  secrete  myself  in  the  woods,  and  when  I  was  sufficiently  near  the 
edge  of  the  wood  at  the  distance  of  a  good  bow-shot,  I  turned  towards 
the  fort  and  rested  a  little  time,  finding  myself  not  pursued;  and  as 
from  this  place  all  the  fort,  even  the  inner-court  was  distinctly  visible 
to  me,  looking  there  I  saw  a  horrible  butchery  of  our  men  taking  place, 
and  three  standards  of  our  enemies  planted  upon  the  ramparts.  Having 
then  lost  all  hope  of  seeing  our  men  rally,  I  resigned  all  my  senses  to 
the  Lord.  Recommending  myself  to  his  mercy,  grace  and  favor,  I 
threw  myself  into  the  wood,  for  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  could  find  no 
greater  cruelty  among  the  savage  beast,  than  that  of  our  enemy  which 
I  had  seen  shown  towards  our  people.  But  the  misery  and  anguish  in 
which  I  found  myself  then,  straitened  and  oppressed,  seeing  no  longer 
any  means  of  safety  upon  the  earth,  unless  by  a  special  grace  of  our 
Lord,  transcending  any  expectation  of  man,  caused  me  to  utter  groans 
and  sobs,  and  with  a  voice  broken  by  distress  to  thus  cry  to  the  Lord : 

" '  0  Grod  of  our  fathers  and  Lord  of  all  mercy !  who  hast  commanded 
us  to  call  upon  Thee  even  from  the  depths  of  hell  and  the  shades  of 
death,  promising  forthwith  thy  aid  and  succor !  show  me,  for  the  hope 
which  I  have  in  Thee,  what  course  I  ought  to  take  to  come  to  the 
termination  of  this  miserable  old  age,  plunged  into  the  gulf  of  grief 
and  bitterness;  at  least,  cause  that,  feeling  the  effect  of  Thy  mercy, 
and  the  confidence  which  I  have  conceived  in  my  heart  for  Thy 
promises,  they  may  not  be  snatched  from  me  through  fear  of  savage 
and  furious  wild  beasts  on  one  hand,  and  of  our  and  Thy  enemies  on 
the  other,  who  desire  the  more  to  injure  us  for  the  memory  of  Thy 
name  which  is  invoked  by  us  than  for  any  other  cause ;  aid  me,  my 
Grod!  assist  me,  for  I  am  so  troubled  that  I  can  do  nothing  more.' 

"And  while  I  was  making  this  prayer,  traversing  the  wood,  which 
was  very  thick  and  matted  with  briars  and  thorns,  beneath  the  large 
trees  where  there  was  neither  any  road  nor  path,  scarcely  had  I  trailed 
my  way  half  an  hour,  when  I  heard  a  noise  like  men  weeping  and 
groaning  near  me;  and  advancing  in  the  name  of  God,  and  in  the 
confidence  of  His  succor,  I  discovered  one  of  our  people,  named  Sieur 
de  la  Blonderie,  and  a  little  behind  him  another,  named  Maitre  Robert, 
well  known  to  us  all,  because  he  had  in  charge  the  prayers  at  the  fort. 

"Immediately  afterwards  we  found  also  the  servant  of  Sieur  d'Ully, 
the  nephew  of  M.  Lebreau,  Master  Jaques  Trusse,  and  many  others; 
and  we  assembled  and  talked  over  our  troubles,  and  deliberated  as  to 
what  course  we  could  take  to  save  our  lives.     One  of  our  number, 


26  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

much  esteemed  as  being  very  learned  in  the  lessons  of  Holy  Scripture, 
proposed  after  this  manner :  '  Brethren,  we  see  to  what  extremity 
we  are  brought ;  in  whatever  direction  we  turn  our  eyes,  we  see  only 
barbarism.  The  heavens,  the  earth,  the  sea,  the  forest,  and  men, — in 
brief,  nothing  favors  us.  How  can  we  know  that  if  we  yield  to  the 
mercy  of  the  Spaniards,  they  will  spare  us?  and  if  they  should  kill  us, 
it  will  be  the  suflFering  of  but  a  moment;  they  are  men,  and  it  may  be 
that,  their  fury  appeased,  they  may  receive  us  upon  some  terms;  and, 
moreover,  what  can  we  do  ?  Would  it  not  be  better  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  men,  than  into  the  jaws  of  wild  beasts,  or  die  of  hunger 
in  a  strange  land  ?  ' 

"After  he  had  thus  spoken,  the  greater  part  of  our  number  were  of 
his  opinion,  and  praised  his  counsel.  Notwithstanding,  I  pointed  out 
the  cruel  animosity  still  unappeased  of  our  enemies,  and  that  it  was 
not  for  any  human  cause  of  quarrel,  that  they  had  carried  out  with 
such  fury  their  enterprise,  but  mainly  (as  would  appear  by  the  notice 
they  had  already  given  us)  because  we  were  of  those  who  were  re- 
formed by  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel ;  that  we  should  be  cowards  to 
trust  in  men,  rather  than  in  God,  who  gives  life  to  his  own  in  the 
midst  of  death,  and  gives  ordinarily  his  assistance  when  the  hopes  of 
men  entirely  fail. 

"I  also  brought  to  their  minds  examples  from  Scripture,  instancing 
Joseph,  Daniel,  Elias,  and  the  other  prophets,  as  well  also  the  apostles, 
as  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  who  were  all  drawn  out  of  much  affliction, 
as  would  appear  by  means  extraordinary  and  strange  to  the  reason  and 
judgment  of  men.  His  arm,  said  I,  is  not  shortened,  nor  in  any  wise 
enfeebled;  his  power  is  always  the  same.  Do  you  not  recollect,  said  I 
the  flight  of  the  Israelites  before  Pharaoh?  What  hope  had  that 
people  of  escaping  from  the  hands  of  that  powerful  tyrant?  He  had 
them,  as  it  were,  under  his  heel.  Before  them  they  had  the  sea,  on 
either  side  inaccessible  mountains. 

"What  then?  He  who  opened  the  sea  to  make  a  path  for  his 
people,  and  made  it  afterwards  to  swallow  up  his  enemies,  can  not  he 
conduct  us  by  the  forest  places  of  this  strange  country?  While  thus 
discoursing,  six  of  the  company  followed  out  the  first  proposition,  and 
abandoned  us  to  go  and  yield  themselves  up  to  our  enemies,  hoping  to 
find  favor  before  them.  But  they  learned,  immediately  and  by 
experience,  what  folly  it  is  to  trust  more  in  men  than  in  the  promise 
of  the  Lord.  For  having  gone  out  of  the  wood,  as  they  descended  to 
the  fort  they  were  immediately  seized  by  the  Spaniards  and  treated  in 
the  same  fashion  as  the  others  had  been.  They  were  at  once  killed 
and  massacred,  and  then  drawn  to  the  banks  of  the  river,  where  the 
others  killed  at  the  fort  lay  in  heaps.  We  who  remained  in  the  wood 
continued  to  make  our  way,  and  drawing  towards  the  sea,  as  well  as  we 
could  judge,  and  as  it  pleased  God  to  conduct  our  paths  and  to  straiten 
our  course,  we  soon  arrived  at  the  brow  of  a  mountain  and  from  there 
commenced  to  see  the  sea,  but  it  was  still  at  a  great  distance;  and 
what  was  worse,  the  road  we  had  to  take  showed  itself  wonderfully 
strange  and  diflScult.     In  the  first  place,  the  mountain  from  which  it 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  27 

was  necessary  for  us  to  descend,  was  of  such  height  and  ruggcdness, 
that  it  was  not  possible  for  a  person  descending  to  stand  upright;  and 
we  shoukl  never  have  dared  to  descend  it  but  for  the  hope  we  had  of 
sustaining  ourselves  by  the  branches  of  the  bushes,  which  were 
frequent  upon  the  side  of  the  mountain,  and  to  save  life,  not  sparing 
our  liands  which  we  had  all  gashed  up  and  bloody,  and  even  the  legs 
and  nearly  all  the  body  was  torn.  But  descending  from  the  mountain,  we 
did  not  lose  our  view  of  the  sea,  on  account  of  a  small  wood  which 
was  upon  a  little  hill  opposite  to  us;  and  in  order  to  go  to  the  wood  it 
was  requisite  that  we  should  traverse  a  large  meadow,  all  mud  and 
quagmire,  covered  with  briars  and  other  kind  of  strange  plants;  for 
the  stalk  was  as  hard  as  wood,  and  the  leaves  pricked  our  feet  and  our 
hands  until  the  blood  came,  and  being  all  the  while  in  water  up  to  the 
middle,  which  redoubled  our  pain  and  suffering.  The  rain  came  down 
upon  us  in  such  manner  from  heaven,  that  we  were  during  all  that 
time  between  two  floods;  and  the  further  we  advanced  the  deeper  we 
found  the  water. 

"And  then  thinking  that  the  last  period  of  our  lives  had  come,  we 
all  embraced  each  other,  and  with  a  common  impulse,  we  commenced 
to  sigh  and  cry  to  the  Lord,  accusing  our  sins  and  recognizing  the 
weight  of  his  judgment  upon  us.  'Alas!  Lord,' said  we,  'what  are 
we  but  poor  worms  of  the  earth  ?  Our  souls  weakened  by  grief,  sur- 
render themselves  into  thy  hands.  Oh,  Father  of  Mercy  and  God  of 
Love,  deliver  us  from  this  pain  of  death !  or  if  thou  wilt  that  in  this 
desert  we  shall  draw  our  last  breath,  assist  us  so  that  death,  of  all 
things  the  most  terrible,  shall  have  no  advantage  over  us,  but  that  we 
may  remain  firm  and  stable  in  the  sense  of  thy  favor  and  good-will, 
which  we  have  too  often  experienced  in  the  cause  of  thy  Christ  to 
give  way  to  the  spirit  of  Satan,  the  spirit  of  despair  and  of  distrust; 
for  if  we  die,  we  will  protest  now  before  thy  Majesty,  that  we  would 
die  unto  thee,  and  that  if  we  live  it  may  be  to  recount  thy  wonders  in 
the  midst  of  the  assembly  of  thy  servants.'  Our  prayers  concluded, 
we  marched  with  great  difficulty  straight  towards  the  wood,  when  we 
came  to  a  great  river  which  ran  in  the  midst  of  this  meadow;  the 
channel  was  sufficiently  narrow  but  very  deep,  and  ran  with  great  force, 
as  though  all  the  field  ran  toward  the  sea.  This  was  another  addition 
to  our  anguish,  for  there  was  not  one  of  our  men  who  would  dare 
to  undertake  to  cross  over  by  swimming.  But  in  this  confusion  of  our 
thoughts,  as  to  what  manner  to  pass  over,  I  bethought  myself  of  the 
wood  which  we  had  left  behind  us.  After  exhorting  my  comrades  to 
patience  and  a  continued  trust  in  the  Lord,  I  returned  to  the  wood, 
and  cut  a  long  pole,  with  the  good  size  clasp  knife  which  remained  in 
my  hand  from  the  hour  the  fort  was  taken;  and  I  returned  to  the 
others,  who  awaited  me  in  great  perplexity.  'Now,  then,  comrades,' 
said  I,  '  let  us  see  if  God,  by  means  of  this  stick,  will  not  give  us 
some  help  to  accomplish  our  path.'  Then  we  laid  the  pole  upon  the 
water,  and  each  one  by  fcurn  taking  hold  of  the  end  of  the  pole,  carried 
it  by  his  side  to  the  midst  of  the  channnel,  when  losing  sight  of  him 
we  pushed  him  with  sufficient  force  to  the  other  bank,  where  he  drew 


28  THE    HISTORY   AND   ANTIQUITIES 

himself  out  by  the  canes  and  other  bushes  growing  along  its  borders;  and 
by  his  example  we  passed  over,  one  at  a  time ;  but  it  was  not  without 
great  danger,  and  not  without  drinking  a  great  deal  of  salt  water,  in  such 
manner  that  our  hearts  were  all  trembling,  and  we  were  as  much  over- 
come as  though  we  had  been  half  drowned.  After  we  had  come  to 
ourselves  and  had  resumed  courage,  moving  on  all  the  time  towards 
the  wood,  which  we  had  remarked  close  to  sea,  the  pole  was  not  even 
needed  to  pass  another  creek,  which  gave  us  not  much  less  trouble  than 
the  first;  but  by  the  grace  of  God,  we  passed  it  and  entered  the  wood 
the  same  evening,  where  we  passed  the  night  in  great  fear  and 
trembling,  standing  about  against  the  trees. 

"And,  as  much  as  we  had  labored,  even  had  it  been  more,  we  felt 
no  desire  to  sleep;  for  what  repose  could  there  be  to  spirits  in  such 
mortal  aifright?  Near  the  break  of  day,  we  saw  a  great  beast,  like  a 
deer,  at  fifty  paces  from  us,  who  had  a  great  head,  eyes  flaming,  the 
ears  hanging,  and  the  higher  parts  elevated.  It  seemed  to  us  mon- 
strous, because  of  its  gleaming  eyes,  wondrously  large ;  but  it  did  njot 
come  near  us  to  do  us  any  harm. 

"  The  day  having  appeared,  we  went  out  of  the  wood  and  returned  to- 
wards the  sea,  in  which  we  hoped,  after  God,  as  the  only  means  of  saving 
our  lives;  but  we  were  again  cast  down  and  troubled,  for  we  saw  before 
us  a  country  of  marsh  and  muddy  quagmires,  full  of  water  and 
covered  with  briars,  like  that  we  had  passed  the  previous  day.  We 
marched  across  this  salt  marsh;  and,  in  the  direction  we  had  to  take, 
we  perceived  among  the  briars  a  body  of  men,  whom  we  at  first  thought 
to  be  enemies,  who  had  gone  there  to  cut  us  off;  but  upon  close  obser- 
vation, they  seemed  in  as  sad  a  plight  as  ourselves,  naked  and  terrified  ; 
and  we  immediately  perceived  that  they  were  our  own  people.  It  was 
Captain  Laudonniere,  his  servant-maid,  Jacques  Morgues  of  Dieppe 
(the  artist),  Francis  Duval  of  Rouen,  son  of  him  of  the  iron  crown 
of  Rouen,  Niguise  de  la  Cratte,  Nicholas  the  carpenter,  the  Trum- 
peter of  Sieur  Laudonniere,  and  others,  who  all  together  made  the 
number  of  twenty-six  men.  Upon  deliberating  as  to  what  we  should 
do,  two  of  our  men  mounted  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  tallest  trees  and  dis- 
covered from  thence  one  of  our  vessels,  which  was  that  of  Captain 
Maillard,  to  whom  they  gave  a  signal,  that  he  might  know  that  we 
were  in  want  of  help.  Thereupon  he  came  towards  us  with  his  small 
vessel,  but  in  order  to  reach  the  banks  of  the  stream,  it  was  necessary 
for  us  to  traverse  the  briars  and  two  other  rivers  similar  to  those  which 
we  passed  the  previous  day;  in  order  to  accomplish  which,  the  pole  I 
had  cut  the  day  before  was  both  useful  and  necessary,  and  two  others 
which  Sr.  de  Laudonniere  had  provided  ;  and  we  came  pretty  near  to  the 
vessel,  but  our  hearts  failed  us  from  hunger  and  fatigue,  and  we  should 
have  remained  where  we  were  unless  the  sailors  had  given  us  a  hand, 
which  aid  was  very  opportune;  and  they  carried  us,  one  after  the 
other,  to  the  vessel,  on  board  of  which  we  were  all  received  well  and 
kindly.  They  gave  us  bread  and  water,  and  we  began  afterwards,  little 
by  little,  to  recover  our  strength  and  vigor ;  which  was  a  strong  reason 
that  we  should  recognize  the  goodness  of  the  Lord,  who  had  saved  us 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  29 

against  all  hope  from  an  infinity  of  dangers  and  from  death,  by  which 
•we  had  been  surrounded  and  assaulted  from  all  quarters,  to  render  him 
forevermore  our  thanks  and  praises.  We  thus  passed  the  entire  night 
recounting  the  wonders  of  the  Lord,  and  consoled  each  other  in  the 
assurances  of  our  safety. 

"Daylight  having  come,  Jacques  Ribault,  Captain  of  the  Pearl, 
boarded  us  to  confer  with  us  respecting  what  was  to  done  by  us,  and 
what  means  we  should  take  for  the  safety  of  the  rest  of  our  men  and 
the  vessels.  It  was  then  objected,  the  small  quanity  of  provisions 
which  we  had,  our  strength  broken,  our  munitions  and  means  of  de- 
fense taken  from  us,  the  uncertainty  as  to  the  condition  of  our 
Admiral,  and  not  knowing  but  that  he  had  been  shipwrecked  on  some 
coast  a  long  distance  from  us,  or  driven  to  a  distance  by  the  tempest. 

"  We  thereupon  concluded  that  we  could  do  no  better  than  return 
to  France,  and  were  of  the  opinion  that  the  company  should  divide 
into  two  parts,  the  one  remaining  on  board  the  Pearl,  the  other  under 
charge  of  Captain  Maillard. 

"  On  Friday,  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  the  month  of  September,  we 
departed  from  this  coast,  favored  by  a  strong  northerly  wind,  having 
concluded  to  return  to  France,  and  after  the  first  day  our  two  ships 
were  so  far  separated  that  we  did  not  again  encounter  each  other. 

"  We  proceeded  five  hundred  leagues  prosperously,  when,  one 
morning  about  sunrise,  we  were  attacked  by  a  Spanish  vessel,  which 
we  met  as  well  as  we  could,  and  cannonaded  them  in  such  sort  that  we 
made  them  subject  to  our  disposal,  and  battered  them  so  that  the  blood  was 
seen  to  overrun  the  scuppers.  We  held  them  then  as  surrendered  and 
defeated;  but  there  was  no  means  of  grappling  her,  on  account  of  the 
roughness  of  the  sea,  for  in  grappling  her  there  would  be  danger  of 
our  striking  together,  which  might  have  sunk  us;  she  also,  satisfied 
with  the  affair,  left  us,  joyful  and  thanking  Grod  that  no  one  of  us  was 
wounded  or  killed  in  this  skirmish  except  our  cook. 

"The  rest  of  our  passage  was  without  any  renconter  with  ene- 
mies; but  we  were  much  troubled  by  contrary  winds,  which  often 
threatened  to  cast  us  on  the  coast  of  Spain,  which  would  have  been 
the  finishing  touch  to  our  misfortunes,  and  the  thing  of  which  we  had 
the  greatest  horror.  We  also  endured  at  sea  many  other  things,  such 
as  cold  and  hunger ;  for  be  it  understood  that  we,  who  escaped  from 
the  land  of  Florida,  had  nothing  else  for  vestment  or  equipment,  by 
day  or  by  night,  except  our  shirts  alone,  or  some  other  little  rag,  which 
was  a  small  matter  of  defence  from  the  exposure  to  the  weather;  and 
what  was  more,  the  bread  which  we  eat,  and  we  eat  it  very  sparingly, 
was  all  spoilt  and  rotten,  as  well  also  the  water  itself  was  all  noisome, 
and  of  which,  besides,  we  could  only  have  for  the  whole  day  a  single 
small  glass. 

"This  bad  food  was  the  reason,  on  our  landing,  that  many  of  us  fell 
into  divers  maladies,  which  carried  off  many  of  the  men  of  our  com- 
pany; and  we  arrived  at  last,  after  this  perilous  and  lamentable 
voyage,  at  Rochelle;  where  we  were  received  and  treated  very  hu- 
manely and  kindly  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  and  those  of  the 


30  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

city,  giving  us  of  their  means,  to  the  extent  our  necessities  require ; 
and  assisted  by  their  kindness  we  were  each  enabled  to  return  to  his 
own  part  of  the  country.''  * 

Laudonniere'sf  narrative  speaks  more  of  his  own  per- 
sonal escape ;  and  that  of  Le  Moyne|  refers  to  this  descrip- 
tion of  De  Challeux,  as  containing  a  full  and  accurate  account 
of  what  took  place.  Barcia  mentions  De  Challeux,  very 
contemptuously  as  a  carpenter,  who  succeeding  badly  at  his 
trade,  took  up  that  of  preaching,  but  does  not  deny  the  truth 
of  his  narrative. 

Those  who  separated  from  their  comrades  and  threw 
themselves  upon  the  enemies'  mercy,  are  mentioned  by  the 
Spanish  writers ;  but  they  are  silent  as  to  the  treatment 
they  received. 

*Ternaux  Compans.  fllakluyt.  J  Brevis  Narratio. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  31 


CHAPTER  VI. 

SITE    OF    FORT    CAROLINE,    AFTERWARDS    CALLED    SAN    MATTEO. 

It  might  naturally  be  supposed  that  a  spot  surrounded 
with  so  many  thrilling  and  interesting  associations,  as  the 
scene  of  the  events  we  have  just  related,  would  have  been 
commemorated  either  by  tradition  or  by  ancient  remains 
attesting  its  situation.  But,  in  truth,  no  recognized  point 
now  bears  the  appellation  of  Fort  Caroline,  and  the  anti- 
quary can  point  at  this  day  to  no  fosse  or  parapet,  no 
crumbling  bastion,  no  ancient  helm  or  buckler,  no  shattered 
and  corroded  garniture  of  war  mingled  with  the  bones  of 
the  dead,  as  evidencing  its  position. 

A  writer  who  has  himself  done  more  to  rescue  from  ob- 
livion the  historical  romance  of  the  South  than  any  other,* 
has  well  said,  "It  will  be  an  employment  of  curious  interest, 
whenever  the  people  of  Florida  shall  happen  upon  thetrue 
site  of  the  settlement  and  structure  of  Laudonniere,  to 
trace  out  in  detail  these  several  localities,  and  fix  them  for 
the  benefit  of  posterity.  The  work  is  scarcely  beyond  the 
hammer  and  chisel  of  some  Old  Mortality,  who  has  learned 
to  place  his  afi'ections  and  fix  his  sympathies  upon  the 
achievements  of  the  past." 

With  a  consciousness  of  our  unfitness  to  establishabso- 
lutely  a  memorial  so  interesting  as  the  site  of  Fort  Caroline 
must  ever  be,  I  shall  endeavor  to  locate  its  position,  upon 
the  basis  of  reasons  entirely  satisfactory  to  myself,  and 
measurably  so,  I  trust,  to  others. 

The  account  given  by  Laudonniere  himself,  the  leader  of 
the  Huguenots,  by  whom  Fort  Caroline  was  constructed,  is 
as  follows: — After  speaking  of  his  arrival  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  whicli  had  been  named  the  River  May  by  Ribault, 
who  had  entered  it  on  the  first  day  of  May,  1562,  and  had 
therefore  given  it  that  name,  he  says,  "Departing  from 
thence,  I  had  not  sailed  three  leagues  up  the  river,  still 
being  followed  by  the  Indians,  crying  still,  'amy,'  'amy,' 
that  is  to  say,  friend,  but  I  discovered  an  hill  of  meane 

*W.  Gilmore  Simms,  Esq. 


32  THE    HISTORY    AND   ANTIQUITIES 

height,  neare  which  I  went  on  land,  harcle  hy  the  fieldes 
that  were  sowed  with  mil,  at  one  corner  whereof  there  was 
an  house,  built  for  their  lodgings  which  keep  and  garde 
the  mil.  *****  *  Now  was  I  determined  to 
searche  out  the  qualities  of  the  hill.  Therefore  I  went 
right  to  the  toppe  thereof;  where  we  found  nothing  else  but 
cedars,  palms,  and  bay  trees  of  so  sovereign  odor  thatBalme 
smelleth  not  more  sweetly.  The  trees  were  environed 
around  about  with  vines  bearing  grapes,  in  such  quantities 
that  the  number  would  suffice  to  make  the  place  habitable. 
Besides  the  fertilitie  of  the  soyle  for  vines,  one  may  see 
mesquine  wreathed  about  the  trees  in  great  quantities. 
Touching  the  pleasure  of  the  place,  the  sea  may  be  seen 
plain  enough  from  it;  and  more  than  six  great  leagues  off, 
towards  the  River  Belle,  a  man  may  behold  the  meadows, 
divided  asunder  into  isles  and  islet,  enterlacing  one  another. 
Briefly,  the  place  is  so  pleasent,  that  those  which  are  mel- 
ancholicke,  would  be  inforced  to  change  their  humour.  *  * 

" Our  fort  was  built  in  form  of  a  triangle;  the  side  to- 
wards the  west,  which  was  towards  the  land,  was  inclosed 
with  a  little  trench  and  raised  with  turf  made  in  the  form 
of  a  battlement,  nine  feet  high ;  the  other  side,  which  was 
towards  the  river,  was  enclosed  with  a  palisade  of  planks  of 
timber,  after  the  manner  that  Gabions  are  made ;  on  the 
south  line,  there  was  a  kind  of  bastion,  within  which  I 
caused  an  house  for  the  munition  to  be  made.  It  was  all 
builded  with  fagots  and  sand,  saving  about  two  or  three 
foote  high,  with  turfes  whereof  the  battlements  were  made. 
In  the  middest,  I  caused  a  great  court  to  be  made  of 
eighteen  paces  long,  and  the  same  in  breadth.  In  the  mid- 
dest whereof,  on  the  one  side,  drawing  towards  the  south, 
I  builded  a  corps  de  garde  and  an  house  on  the  other  side 
towards  the  north.  *  *  *  *  One  of  the  sides  that  in- 
closed my  court,  which  I  made  very  faire  and  large,  reached 
unto  the  grange  of  my  munitions;  and  on  the  other  side, 
towards  the  river,  was  mine  own  lodgings,  round  which 
were  galleries  all  covered.  The  principal  doore  of  my 
lodging  was  in  the  middest  of  the  great  place,  and  the 
other  was  towarde  the  river.  A  good  distance  from  the 
fort  I  built  an  oven." 

Jacob  Le  Moyne,  or  Jacques  Morgues,  as  he  is  sometimes 
called,  accompanied  the  expedition  ;  and  his  Brcvis  Narratio 
contains  two  plates,  representing  the  commencement  of  the 
construction  of  Fort  Caroline,  and  its  appearance  when 
completed.     The  latter  represents  a  much  more  finished 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  33 

fortification  than  could  possibly  Lave  been  constructed,  but 
may  be  taken  as  a  correct  outline,  I  presume,  of  its  general 
appearance. 

liarcia,  in  his  account  of  its  capture,  describes  neither  its 
shape  nor  appearance,  but  mentions  the  parapet  nine  feet 
high,  and  the  munition  house  and  store  house. 

From  the  account  of  Laudonniere  and  Le  Mojnie,  it  was 
situated  near  the  river,  on  the  slope  or  nearly  at  the  foot  of 
a  hill.*  Barcia  speaks  of  its  being  behind  a  hill,  and  of 
descending  towards  it.  The  clerical-carpenter,  Challcux, 
speaks  of  being  able,  after  his  escape,  to  look  down  from 
the  hill  he  was  on,  into  the  court  of  the  fort  itself,  and 
seeing  the  massacre  of  the  French.  As  he  was  flying  from 
the  fort  towards  the  sea,  and  along  the  river,  and  as  the 
Spaniards  came  from  a  southeast  direction,  the  fort  must 
have  been  on  the  westerly  side  of  a  hill,  near  the  river. 

The  distance  is  spoken  of  as  less  than  three  leagues  by 
Laudonniere.  Hawkins  and  Ribault  say,  the  fort  was  not 
visible  from  the  mouth  of  the  river.  It  is  also  incidentally 
spoken  of  in  Barcia  as  being  two  leagues  from  the  bar. 
De  Challeux,  in  the  narrative  of  his  escape,  speaks  of  the 
distance  as  being  about  two  leagues.  In  the  account  given 
of  the  expedition  of  Be  Gourgues,  it  is  said  to  be,  in  general 
terms,  about  one  or  two  leagues  above  the  forts  afterwards 
constructed  on  each  side  of  the  mouth  of  the  river;  and  it 
is  also  mentioned  in  Be  Gourgues,  that  the  fort  was  at  the 
foot  of  a  hill,  near  the  water,  and  could  be  overlooked  from 
the  hill.  The  distance  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and 
the  nature  of  the  ground  where  the  fort  was  built,  are 
thus  made  sufficiently  definite  to  enable  us  to  seek  a  lo- 
cation which  shall  fulfill  both  these  conditions.  It  is 
hardly  necessary  to  remark  that  there  can  be  no  question 
but  that  the  fort  was  located  on  the  south  or  easterly  side 
of  the  river,  as  the  Spaniards  marched  by  land  from  St. 
Augustine  in  a  northwesterly  direction  to  Fort  Caroline. 

The  River  St.  Johns  is  one  of  the  largest  rivers,  in  point 
of  width,  to  be  found  in  America,  and  is  more  like  an  arm 
of  the  sea  than  a  river;  from  its  mouth  for  a  distance  of 
fifteen  miles,  it  is  spread  over  extensive  marshes,  and  there 
are  few  points  where  the  channel  touches  the  banks  of  the 
river.  At  its  mouth  it  is  comparatively  narrow,  but  im- 
mediately extends  itself  over  wide-spread  marshes ;  and  the 
first  headland  or  shore  which  is  washed  by  the  channel  is  a 
place  known  as  St.   John's   Bluff.     Here   the    river   runs 

*  Laudonniere  says,  ^^joignant  la  montagne." 

3 


34  THE    HISTORY    AND   ANTIQUITIES 

closely  along  the  shore,  making  a  hold,  deep  channel  close 
up  to  the  bank.  The  land  rises  abruptly  on  one  side  into  a 
hill  of  moderate  height,  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of 
pine,  cedar,  &c.  This  hill  gently  slopes  to  the  banks  of  the 
river,  and  runs  off  to  the  southwest,  where,  at  the  distance  of 
a  quarter  of  a  mile,  a  creek  discharges  itself  into  the  river, 
at  a  place  called  "the  Sliipyard  "  from  time  immemorial. 

I  am  not  aware  that  any  remains  of  Fort  Caroline,  or 
any  old  remains  of  a  fortress,  have  ever  been  discovered 
here;  but  it  must  be  recollected  that  this  fort  was  con- 
structed of  sand  and  pine  trees,  and  that  three  hundred 
yeai-s  have  passed  away,  with  their  storms  and  tempests, 
their  rains  and  destructive  influences — a  period  suflicent  to 
have  destroyed  a  work  of  much  more  durable  character 
than  sandy  entrenchments  and  green  pine  stakes  and 
timbers.  Moreover,  it  is  higly  probable,  judging  from 
present  appearances,  that  the  constant  abrasion  ot  the  banks 
still  going  on  has  long  since  worn  away  the  narrow  spot  where 
stood  Fort  Caroline.  It  is  also  to  be  remarked,  that  as 
there  is  no  other  hill,  or  high  land,  or  place  where  a  fort 
could  have  been  built,  between  St.  John's  Bluff  and  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  so  it  is  also  the  fact  that  there  is  no 
point  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  where  the  channel  touches 
high  hmd,  for  a  distance  by  water  of  eight  or  ten  miles 
above  St.  John's  Blutf. 

The  evidence  in  favor  of  the  location  of  Fort  Caroline  at 
St.  John's  Bluft'  is,  I  think  conclusive  and  irresistible,  and 
accords  in  all  points  with  the  descriptions^given  as  to  dis- 
tance, topography,  and  points  of  view. 

It  is  within  the  memory  of  persons  now  living,  that  a  con- 
siderable orange  grove  and  somewhat  extensive  buildings, 
which  existed  at  this  place,  then  called  San  Vicente,  have 
been  washed  into  the  river,  leaving  at  this  day  no  vestiges 
of  their  existence.  It  has  been  occpuied  as  a  Spanish  fort 
within  fifty  years ;  yet  so  rai)id  has  been  the  work  of  time  and 
the  elements,  that  no  remains  of  such  occupation  are  now 
to  be  seen. 

The  narratives  all  speak  of  the  distance  from  the  mouth 
of  the  river  as  about  two  leagues;  and  in  speaking  of  so 
short  a  distance  the  probability  of  exactness  is  much  greater 
than  when  dealing  with  longer  distances. 

As  to  the  spot  itself,  it  i)resents  all  the  natural  features 
mentioned  by  Laudonniere  ;  and  it  requires  but  a  small  spice 
of  enthusiasm  and  romance  that  it  be  recognized  as  a 
"goodlie  and  pleasanto  spotte,"  by  those  who  might  like 

I 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  35 

the  abundance  of  the  wild  grapes  and  the  view  of  the  distant 
salt  meadows,  with  their  "  iles  and  islets,  so  pleasante  that 
those  w^hich  are  melancholike  would  be  inforced  to  change 
their  humour." 

It  is  butpropcr,  however,  to  say,  that  at  a  plantation  known 
as  Newcastle  there  is  a  high  range  of  ground,  and  upon 
this  high  ground  the  appearance  of  an  old  earth-workof  quad- 
rangular form  ;  but  this  point  is  distant  some  six  leagues 
from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  is  flanked  by  a  deep  bay  or 
marsh  to  the  southeast,  and  the  work  is  on  the  top  of  the 
liillandnotat  its  foot,  is  quadrangular  and  not  triangular,  and 
is  a  considerable  distance  from  the  water.  These  earth- 
works, I  am  satisfied,  are  Spanish  or  English  remains  of  a 
much  later  period. 

By  examining  a  map  of  the  St.  John's  river,  the  first  pro- 
jecting land  on  the  south  side,  lying  east  of  the  second 
township  line  marked  from  the  coast,  will  be  found  nearly 
to  indicate  the  point  known  as  St.  John's  Bluff.  On  the 
eastern  face  the  bluft'  is  quite  high  and  precipitous — being 
possibly  the  "  brow  of  the  mountain  "  mentioned  by  De 
Challeux — and  immediately  beyond  is  a  deep  indentation  of 
the  shore-line  of  several  miles  in  circuit,  within  which  is  an 
immense  tract  of  sea-marsh,  interspersed  with  small  islands, 
and  cut  up  by  narrow  channels.  Through  this  the  fugitives 
may  be  supposed  to  have  crossed,  and,  reaching  the  high 
lands  which  hem  in  the  marsh  near  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
were  enabled  to  view  the  vessels  which  ofitered  them  rescue. 
About  the  year  1856  a  handful  of  small  copper  coins  were 
accidentally  found  near  the  eastern  margin  of  this  marsh, 
in  the  rear  of  what  is  now  known  as  Mayport  Mill.  Some 
few  were  at  first  found  on  the  ground,  as  if  accidentally  ex- 
posed, and  upon  removing  the  earth  for  a  slight  depth  the 
remainder  were  discovered.  They  were  distributed  among 
several  gentlemen  in  Florida,  and  Mr.  Buckingham  Smith, 
at  that  time  and  more  recently  made  the  history  of  the 
coins  a  subject  of  especial  inquiry  in  Spain. 

Just  before  putting  the  second  edition  of  this  work  to 
press,  the  following  letter  was  received  by  the  publisher  of 
this  volume,  and  is  given  as  matter  of  interest  iu  connec- 
tion with  the  locality  referred  to  : 

Madrid,  August  15,  1868. 

My  Dear  Sir  : — I  brought  with  me  from  Florida,  as  I  proposed, 
three  copper  coins  of  those  found  with  others  of  the  same  sort  many 
years  ago,  on  the  St.  Johns  river  near  the  old  site  of  Fort  Caroline,  in 
what  the  French  three  centuries  ago  called  the  Vale  of  Laudonniere, 


36  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 

that  I  might  have  them  examined  in  Europe.  There  were  none  of  the 
sort  in  the  British  Museum,  with  which  they  might  be  compared,  and 
in  the  Bibliothique  Imperial  I  could  only  learn  that  they  were  Spanish. 
On  my  arrival  here  I  gave  them  for  inspection  to  Senor  Bermudez,  a 
long  time  in  charge  of  the  national  collection  of  such  like  antiquities, 
second  only  in  extent  and  value  to  that  of  Paris :  and  showed  them 
also  to  other  of  my  friends  learned  in  numismatics.  The  work  of  A. 
Heiss,  now  making  its  appearance  in  numbers,  with  the  title  Descrip- 
tion General  de  las  monedas  Hispano — Christianas  desde  la  invasion 
de  las  Arabes,  has  been  also  consulted,  and  this  is  the  amount  of  all 
the  conclusions,  the  inscriptions  on  each  coin  being  nearly  the  same  : 

t  KAROLVS.ET.IOANNA  RE. 

Two  II  in  the  midst,  with  crowns  upon  them  ;  to  the  right  P,  to  the  left  S  ; 

in  the  middle  a  square  point. 

BEVERSO  : 

Same — same — same — KEGIS. 
A  Y  in  the  middle,  crowned  ;  to  the  right  IIII ;  to  the  left  F. 

They  were  struck  for  Dona  Juana  and  Carlos  I.,  Empr.  Charles  V., 
between  the  years  1516  and  1555.  The  Y  is  supposed  to  refer  to  Ysa- 
bel :  the  double  I  to  Joanna  I.,  or  may  be  to  the  columns  of  Hercules, 
and  the  crowns  upon  them  to  those  of  Castilla  and  Aragon.  On  later 
silver  coins,  not  so  rude,  the  columns  are  placed  with  the  words  plus 
ultra,  as  you  may  have  observed  on  a  Spanish  dollar.  The  III!  (on 
some  4,)  means  four  maravedises,  the  value  of  which  have  varied :  at 
present  25  of  these  would  be  the  value  of  a  real.  These  coins  are  un- 
common ;  in  good  preservation,  very  rare.  The  curiosity  so  many  of 
us  have  had  for  a  number  of  years  about  these  matters,  I  believe  is  at 
last  satisfied. 

I  have  visited  the  town  of  Aviles,  a  league  from  the  Bay  of  Biscay, 
whence  Pedro  Menendcz  came,  and  brought  his  fleet  to  Florida,  three 
centuries  ago.  I  saw  his  tomb,  and  not  far  off  the  chapel  of  the  family 
of  one  of  his  companions.  There  is  no  stranger  any  where  to  be  heard 
of  in  all  that  country  ;  every  thing  is  intensely  and  old  Spanish  in 
every  aspect.  Going  home  late  one  evening,  I  was  accosted  by  a  na- 
tive in  good  English.  lie  said  the  town  was  rarely  visited — three  or 
four  Englishmen  within  his  memory  had  passed  through,  and  he  suppo- 
sed me  to  be  the  first  person  from  the  United  Stateswhohad  ever  been 
there.  I  told  him  I  came  from  Florida,  and,  though  rather  late,  was 
returning  the  visit  of  Menendez  to  St.  Augustine. 

The  estate  of  this  old  colonist  is  in  the  house  of  the  Count  of  Ca- 
nalejas,  held  by  the  Marquis  of  San  Estevan,  who  is  also  by  marriage 
the  Count  of  llevilla  Gigedo.  I  culled  on  him  at  his  country  seat  in 
Dania,  and,  detaining  me  to  spend  the  day  with  him.  gave  orders  to 
have  his  family  pictures  and  palace  shown  to  me  at  Gijon,  and  his  pa- 
pers at  a  residence  in  Oviedo.  Among  the  documents  is  a  valuable  one 
for  writing  a  life  of  Menendez.  It  is  a  draft  for  a  letter  in  his  own 
hand,  directed  to  his  nephew,  Governor  of  Florida,  in  which  he  ex- 
presses his  wish  to  be  with  him  and  away  from  business.  He  speaks 
of  the  "  invincible  armada  "  which   he  had  been  appointed  to  com- 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  37 

uiand,  and  gives  the  number  of  his  ships.  This  probably  was  the  last 
thing  he  ever  wrote,  dated  tea  days  before  he  died,  as  it  is  known  that 
he  died  on  the  ninth  day  of  his  sickness.  Of  course  I  have  a  copy  to 
show  you. 

Spain  has  greatly  changed  within  the  last  eiirht  years — impoveris-hed 
itself,  the  people  say,  with  improvements.  The  railroads  traverse  most 
parts,  are  well  laid,  durable,  and  the  service  good.  The  ancient  mon- 
uments have  begun  to  be  cared  for,  are  repaired,  and  in  the  charge  of 
a  commission  of  the  government. 

Give  my  best  regards  to  friends  about  you,  and  believe  me  truly 
yours,  BUCKINGHAM  SMITH. 

Mr.  Columbus  Drew,  Jacksonville,  Fla. 


38  THE    HISTORY    AND   ANTIQUITIES 


CHAPTER    VII. 

MENENDEZ'S  RETUKN  TO  ST.   AUGUSTINE— SHIPWRECK  0 
RIBAULT— MASSACRE  OF  PART  OF  HIS  COMMAND— 

A.  D.  1505. 

After  au  ineffectual  attempt  to  induce  those  in  the  small 
vessels  of  the  French  to  surrender,  failing  in  this,  the  Gen- 
eral concluded  to  return  to  St.  Augustine,  and  send  two  of 
his  vessels  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  intercept  them. 

Some  of  the  fugitives  from  the  fort  fled  to  the  Indians ; 
and  ten  of  these  were  given  up  to  the  Spaniards,  to  be 
butchered  in  cold  blood,  says  the  French  account, — to  be 
sent  back  to  France,  says  the  Spanish  chronicle. 

The  24th  September  being  the  day  of  St.  Matthew,  the 
name  of  the  fort  was  changed  to  that  of  San  Mutheo,  by 
which  name  it  was  always  subsequently  called  by  the  Span- 
iards ;  and  the  name  of  St.  Matthew  w^as  also  given  by  them 
to  the  river,  now  called  St.  Johns,  on  which  it  is  situated. 

The  Spaniards  proceeded  at  once  to  strengthen  the  for- 
tress, deepening  and  enlarging  the  ditch,  and  raised  and 
strengthened  the  ramparts  and  walls  in  such  manner,  says 
the  boastful  Mendoza,  "  that  if  the  half  of  all  France  had 
come  to  attack  it,  they  could  not  have  disturbed  it ;"  a  boast 
upon  which  the  easy  conquest  of  it  by  De  Gourgues,  three 
years  subsequently,  affords  an  amusing  commentar\'.  They 
also  constructed,  subsequently,  two  small  forts  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  one  on  each  side,  which  probably  were  located 
the  one  at  Batten  Island  and  the  other  at  Mayport. 

Leaving  three  hundred  soldiers  as  a  garrison  under  his 
son-in-law,  De  Valdez,  Master  of  the  Camp,  who  was  now 
appointed  Govenor  of  the  fort,  Mcncndez  marched  for  St. 
Augustine,  beginning  now  to  feel  considerable  anxiety  lest 
the  French  fleet,  escaping  from  the  tempest,  might  return 
and  visit  upon  his  own  garrison  at  St.  Augustine,  the  fate  of 
Fort  Caroline.  He  took  with  him  upon  his  return  butflfty 
soldiers,  and,  owing  to  the  swollen  waters,  found  great  difli- 
culty  in  retracing  his  route.  When  within  a  league  of  St. 
Augustine,  he  allowed  one  of  the  soldiers  to  go  forward  to 
announce  his  victory  and  safe  return. 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  39 

The  garrison  at  St.  Augustine  had  been  in  great  anxiety 
respecting  their  leader,  and  from  tlie  accounts  given  by  those 
who  had  deserted,  they  had  feared  the  total  loss  of  the  ex- 
pedition. The  worthy  Chaplain  thus  describes  the  return 
of  Menendez : — 

"  The  same  day,  being  Monday,  we  saw  a  man  coming,  crying  out 
loudly.  I  myself"  was  the  first  to  run  to  him  for  the  news.  lie  em- 
braced me  with  transport,  crying  '  Victory  !  Victory  !  The  French 
fort  is  ours.'  I  promised  him  the  present  which  the  bearer  of  good 
news  deserves,  and  gave  him  the  best  in  my  power. 

"  At  the  hour  of  vespers  our  good  General  arrived,  with  fifty  foot 
soldiers,  very  much  fitigued.  As  soon  as  I  learned  that  he  was  com- 
ing, I  ran  home  and  put  on  a  new  soutain,  the  best  which  I  had,  and  a 
surplice,  and  going  out  with  a  crucifix  in  my  hand,  I  went  forward  to 
receive  him  ;  and  he,  a  gentleman  and  a  good  Christian,  before  enter- 
ing kneeled  and  all  his  followers,  and  returned  thanks  to  the  Lord  for 
the  great  favours  which  he  had  received.  My  companions  and  myself 
marched  in  front  in  procession,  so  that  we  all  returned  with  the  greatest 
demonstrations  of  joy." 

When  about  to  dispatch  the  two  vessels  in  his  harbor  to 
the  St.  John's,  to  cut  off  the  French  vessels  he  had  left  there, 
he  was  informed  that  two  sail  had  already  been  seen  to  pass 
the  bar,  supposed  to  contain  the  French  fugitives. 

Eight  days  after  the  capture  of  Fort  Caroline,  a  fire  broke 
out  in  the  quarters  of  St.  Augustine,  which  destroyed  much 
treasure  and  provisions,  and  the  origin  of  which  was  doubt- 
ful, whether  to  be  ascribed  to  accident  or  design.  Much 
dissatisfaction  prevailed  among  the  officers  and  soldiers,  and 
the  fire  was  looked  upon  with  pleasure  by  some,  as  having 
a  tendency  to  hasten  their  departure  from  a  spot  which 
offered  few  temptations  or  rewards,  compared  to  Mexico  or 
Peru. 

On  the  very  day  of  Menendez's  return,  a  Frenchman  was 
discovered  by  a  fishing  party  on  Anastasia  Island,  who,  be- 
ing taken,  said  he  was  one  of  a  party  of  eighteen,  sent  in  a 
small  vessel,  some  days  before,  to  reconnoitre  the  Spanish 
position  ;  that  they  had  been  unable  to  keep  the  sea,  and  had 
been  thrown  ashore,  about  four  leagues  below,  at  the  mouth 
of  a  river;  that  the  Indians  attacked  and  killed  three  of 
their  number,  and  they  thereupon  escaped. 

Menendez  dispatched  a  captain  and  fifty  men,  to  get  off 
the  vessel  and  capture  any  of  the  French  who  might  be 
found.  Ou  their  arrival  at  the  place,  they  found  that  all  the 
French  had  been  killed  by  the  Indians  ;  but  they  succeeded 
in  getting  off  the  vessel.  Meucndez,  feeling  uneasy  in  ref- 
erence to  their  eucoutiter  with  the  Indians,  had  followed  on 


40  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

after  the  expedition,  in  company  witb  the  worthy  Chaplain, 
to  whom  his  promenade  among  the  briars,  vines,  prickly 
cedars,  chaparral,  and  prickly  pears  of  Auastasia,  seems  to 
have  been  a  true  via  dolorosa. 

Upon  their  arrival,  they  found  a  considerable  body  of 
French  upon  the  south  side  of  an  inlet,  whose  fires  indicated 
their  position. 

The  four  vessels  of  Ribault,  which  had  gone  in  pursuit 
of  the  Spaniards  at  St.  Augustine,  had  been  overtaken  by 
the  storm,  and  after  keeping  to  sea  with  incredible  etfort, 
had  been  finally  driven  ashore  upon  the  shoals  of  Canaveral,* 
with  but  little  loss  of  life  but  a  total  loss  of  every  thing 
else  ;  they  were  thus  thrown  on  shore  without  shelter  from 
the  elements,  famished  with  hunger,  borne  down  by  disap- 
pointment, and  utterly  dispirited  and  demoralized.  They 
were  consumed,  also,  by  the  most  painful  uncertainity. 
Marching  to  the  northward  along  shore,  they  discovered  a 
skitt",  and  resolved  to  send  a  small  number  of  persons  in  it, 
to  make  their  way  by  sea  to  Fort  Caroline,  to  bring  succor 
to  tliem  from  there.  This  boat  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
St.  John's,  where  they  were  informed,  by  friendly  Indians, 
of  the  fate  which  had  befallen  the  fort;  and  subsequently 
they  fell  in  with  a  Frenchman  who  had  escaped,  who  related 
to  them  the  whole  disaster.  Upon  this  they  concluded  to 
seek  their  own  safety  among  the  friendly  Indians  of  St. 
Helena,  rather  than  to  be  the  useless  bearers  of  the  tidings 
ot  their  mistortunes  to  their  companions  m  arms. 

There  are  several  accounts  of  the  sad  fate  which  befel  the 
followers  of  Ribault,  the  massacre  of  whom  has  been  per- 
petuated by  the  memorial  name  given  to  its  scene,  "the 
bloody  river  of  Matanzas,"  the  ebb  and  flow  of  whose  re- 
curring tides  for  three  hundred  years  have  failed  to  wash 
out  the  record  of  blood  which  has  associated  this  massacre 
of  the  Huguenots  with  the  darkest  scenes  of  earth's  history. 
In  consequence  of  the  rank  and  number  of  the  victims,  the 
event  })roduced  various  and  somewhat  contradictory  ac- 
counts ;  but  all  stamped  with  a  seal  of  reprobation  and  execra- 
tion the  act  and  the  actors,  without  reference  to  creed  or  na- 
tionality. Clialleux  relates  instances  of  cruel  l)arbarity  added 
to  the  atrocity  of  slaughter  itself;  and  others,  it  ai)poars, 
had  given  other  versions,  all  in  difierent  degree  pointing  the 
finger  of  historic  justice  to  mark  and  commemorate  the 
crime  against  humanity. 

*  Canaveral,  where  Ribault  was  wrecked,  must  have  been  some  point 
north  of  Mosquito  Inlet,  and  not  the  cape  now  bearing  that  name,  as  he 
could  not  have  crossed  Mosquito  Inlet  in  his  march  to  Matanzas. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  41 

The  Spanish  historian,  Barcia,  aims  to  counteract  this 
general  condemnation,  of  which  in  his  own  language  he 
says,  "  These  calumnies,  repeated  in  so  many  quarters,  have 
sullied  the  fame  of  the  Adelantado,  being  exaggerated  by 
the  heretics,  and  consented  to  by  the  Catholics,  so  that  even 
the  Father  Felix  Briot,  in  his  annals,  says  that  he  caused 
them  to  be  killed  contrary  to  the  faith  which  he  had  given 
them ;  which  is  altogether  a  falsehood,  for  the  Adelantado 
did  not  give  his  word,  nor  would  he  when  asked  give  it,  to 
spare  their  lives,  although  they  were  willing  to  pay  him  for 
doing  so ;  nor  in  the  capture  of  Fort  Caroline  did  he  do 
more  than  has  been  related ;  and  such  is  the  account  given 
by  Doctor  Salis  de  las  Meras,  brother-in-law  to  Donna  Maria 
de  Salis,  wife  of  the  Adelantado,  who  was  present,  and  who, 
relating  the  punishment  of  the  heretics,  and  the  manner  in 
which  it  was  accomplished,  says, — 

"  '  The  Adelantado  occupied  himself  in  fortifying  his  set- 
tlement at  St.  Augustine,  as  well  as  he  could,  to  defend  it 
from  the  French  fleet  if  they  should  attack  it.  Upon  the 
following  day  some  Indians  came  and  by  signs  informed 
them  that  four  leao;ues  distant  there  were  a  laro;e  number  of 
Christians,  who  were  unable  to  cross  an  arm  of  the  sea  or 
strait,  which  is  a  river  upon  the  inner  side  of  an  inlet,  which 
they  were  obliged  to  cross  in  order  to  come  to  St.  Augus- 
tine. The  Adelantado  sent  thither  forty  soldiers  about  dusk, 
and  arrived  about  midnight  near  the  inlet,  where  he  com- 
manded a  halt  until  morning,  and  leaving  his  soldiers  con- 
cealed, he  ascended  a  tree  to  see  what  was  the  state  of  mat- 
ters, lie  discovered  many  persons  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  and  their  standards ;  and  to  prevent  their  passing 
over,  he  directed  his  men  to  exhibit  themselves  towards  the 
shore,  so  that  it  might  be  supposed  that  he  had  with  him  a 
large  force;  and  when  they  were  discovered,  a  French  sol- 
dier swam  over,  and  said  that  the  persons  beyond  the  river 
were  Frenchmen,  that  they  had  been  wrecked  in  a  storm, 
but  had  all  saved  their  lives.  The  Adelantado  asked  what 
French  they  were?  He  answered,  that  they  were  two  hun- 
dred of  the  people  under  command  of  Jean  Ribault,  Viceroy 
and  Captain  General  of  this  country  for  the  king  of  the 
French.  He  asked  again,  if  they  were  Catholics  or  Luthe- 
rans? It  was  replied  that  they  were  all  Lutherans,  of  the 
new  religion  ;  all  of  which  was  previously  well  known  to 
the  Adelantado,  when  he  encountered  their  fleet  with  his 
vessels ;  and  the  women  and  children  whom  he  had  spared 
when  he  took  their  fort,  had  also  so  informed  him  ;  and  he 


42  THE   HISTORY   AND   ANTIQUITIES 

had  found  in  the  fort  when  he  took  it,  six  trunks  filled  with 
books,  well  bound  and  gilt;  all  of  which  were  of  the  new 
sect,  and  from  which  th6y  did  not  say  mass,  but  preached 
their  Lutheran  doctrines  every  evening ;  all  of  which  books 
he  directed  to  be  burnt,  not  sparing  a  single  one. 

" '  The  Adelantado  then  asked  him  whv  he  had  come 
over?  He  said  he  had  been  sent  over  by  his  Captain,  to  see 
what  people  they  were.  The  General  asked  if  he  ^^-ished  to 
return.  He  said,  "  Yes,  but  he  desired  to  know  what  peo- 
ple they  were."  This  man  spoke  very  plainly,  for  he  was  a 
Gascon  of  San  Juan  de  Suz.  "Then  tell  him,"  said  the 
Adelantado,  "that  it  is  the  Viceroy  and  Captain  General  of 
this  country  for  the  king,  Don  Philip ;  and  that  his  name  is 
Pedro  Meucndez,  and  tliat  he  is  here  with  some  of  his  sol- 
diery to  ascertain  what  people  those  were,  for  he  had  been 
informed  the  day  before  that  they  were  there,  and  the  hour 
at  which  they  came." 

" '  The  French  soldier  went  over  with  his  message,  and 
immediately  returtied,  saying  "that  if  they  would  i)ledge 
faith  to  his  capt<:iin  and  to  four  other  gentlemen,  they  would 
like  to  come  and  treat  with  him  ;"  and  they  desired  the  loan 
of  a  boat,  which  the  General  had  directed  .to  bring  some 
provisions  to  the  river.  The  General  instructed  the  mes- 
senger to  say  to  his  captain,  "that  he  might  come  over 
securely  under  the  pledge  of  his  word,"  and  then  sent 
over  for  them  the  boat ;  and  they  crossed  over.  The  Ade- 
lantado received  them  very  well,  with  only  ten  of  his  fol- 
lowers ;  the  others  he  directed  to  stay  some  distance  off 
among  some  bushes,  so  that  their  number  might  appear  to 
be  greater  than  it  was.  One  of  the  Frenchmen  announced 
himself  as  captain  of  these  people;  and  that  in  a  great  storm 
they  had  lost  four  galleons,  and  other  vessels  of  the  king  of 
France,  within  a  distance  of  twenty  leagues  of  each  other; 
and  that  these  were  the  people  from  on  board  of  one  ship, 
and  that  they  desired  they  would  let  them  have  a  boat  for 
this  arm  of  the  sea,  and  for  another  four  leagues  hence, 
which  was  at  St.  Augustine;  that  they 'desired  to  go  to  a 
fort  which  they  held  twenty  leagues  from  there.  It  was  the 
same  fort  which  Menendez  had  taken.  The  Adelantado 
asked  them  "if  they  were  Catholics  or  Lutherans?"  He 
replied  "that  they  were  all  of  the  Xew  lleligion."  Then 
the  Adelantado  said  to  them,  "  Gentlemen,  your  fort  is 
taken  and  its  people  destroyed,  except  the  women,  and  chil- 
dren under  fifteen  years  of  age ;  and  that  you  may  be  as- 
sured of  this,  among  the  soldiers  who  are  here  there  are 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  48 

many  things,  and  also  there  are  here  two  Frenchmen  whom 
I  have  brought  with  me,  who  said  they  were  Catholics.  Sit 
down  here  and  eat,  and  I  will  send  the  two  Frenchmen  to 
you,  as  also  the  things  which  some  of  my  soldiers  have  taken 
from  the  fort,  in  order  that  you  may  be  satisfied. 

"'The  Adelantado  having  spoken  thus,  directed  food  to 
be  given  to  them,  and  sent  the  two  Frenchmen  to  them,  and 
many  things  which  the  soldiers  had  brought  from  the  fort, 
that  they  might  see  them,  and  then  retired  himself,  to  eat 
with  his  own  people;  and  an  hour  afterwards,  when  he  saw 
that  the  French  had  eaten,  he  went  where  they  were  and 
asked  if  they  were  satisfied  of  the  truth  of  what  he  had  told 
them.  They  said  they  were,  and  desired  that  for  a  consid- 
eration, he  should  give  them  vessels  and  ships'  stores,  that 
they  might  return  to  France.  The  Adelantado  answered, 
"  that  he  would  do  so  with  great  pleasure  if  they  were  good 
Catholics,  or  if  he  had  the  ships  for  them  ;  but  he  had  not 
the  vessels,  having  sent  two  to  St.  Matteo  (Ft.  Caroline),  the 
one  to  take  the  artillery  they  had  captured,  and  the  French 
women  and  children,  to  St.  Domingo,  and  to  obtain  provi- 
sions. The  other  had  to  go  upon  business  of  his  Majesty  to 
other  parts. 

"  '  The  French  captain  replied,  "  that  he  should  grant  to 
all,  their  lives,  and  that  they  should  remain  with  him  until 
they  could  obtain  shipping  for  France,  since  they  were  not 
at  war,  and  the  kings  of  Spain  and  of  France  were  brothers 
and  friends."  The  Adelantado  said,  "that  was  true,  and 
Catholics  and  frieiids  he  would  favor,  believing  that  he 
would  serve  both  kings  in  doing  so ;  but  as  to  themselves, 
being  of  the  new  sect,  he  held  them  for  enemies,  and  he 
would  wage  war  upon  them  even  to  blood  and  to  fire  ;  and 
that  he  would  pursue  them  with  all  cruelty  wherever  he 
should  encounter  them,  in  whatever  sea  or  land  where  he 
should  be  viceroy  or  captain  general  for  his  king;  and  that 
he  would  go  and  plant  the  holy  faith  in  this  land,  that  the 
Indians  might  be  enlightened  and  be  brought  to  the  know- 
ledge of  the  Holy  Catholic  Faith  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour, 
as  taught  and  announced  by  the  Roman  Church.  That  if 
they  wished  to  surrender  their  standards  and  their  arms,  and 
throw  themselves  upon  his  mercy,  they  might  do  so,  for  he 
would  do  with  them  what  God  should  of  his  grace  direct;  or,  they 
could  do  as  they  might  deem  proper ;  that  other  treaty  or 
friendship  they  should  not  have  from  hira."  The  French 
captain  replied,  that  he  could  not  then  conclude  any  other 
matter  with  the  Adelantado.     He  went  over  in  the  boat, 


44  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

saying,  that  be  went  to  relate  what  had  passed,  and  to  agree 
upon  what  should  be  done,  and  within  two  hours  he  would 
return  with  an  answer.  The  Adelantado  said,  "  They  could 
do  as  seemed  best  to  them,  and  he  would  wait  for  them." 
Two  hours  passed,  when  the  same  French  captain  returned, 
with  those  who  had  accompanied  him  previously,  and  said 
to  the  General,  "  that  there  were  many  people  of  family, 
and  nobles  among  them,  and  that  they  would  give  fifty 
thousand  ducats,  of  ransom,  if  he  would  spare  all  their 
lives."  He  answered,  "  that  although  he  was  a  poor  soldier, 
he  could  not  be  governed  by  selfish  interests,  and  if  he  were  to 
be  merciful  and  lenient,  he  desired  to  be  so  without  the  sus- 
picion of  other  motives."  The  French  captain  returned  to 
urge  the  matter.  ''Do  not  deceive  yourselves,"  said  the 
Adelantado,  "for  if  Heaven  were  to  join  to  earth,  I  would 
do  no  otherwise  than  I  have  said."  The  French  ofiicer  then 
going  towards  where  his  people  stood,  said,  that  in  accord- 
ance with  that  understanding  he  would  return  shortly  with 
an  answer;  and  within  half  an  hour  he  returned  and  placed 
in  the  boat,  the  standards,  seventy  arquebuses,  twenty  pis- 
tols, a  quantity  of  swords  and  shields,  and  some  helmets  and 
breast-plates  ;  and  the  captain  came  to  where  the  General 
stood,  and  said  that  all  the  French  force  there  submitted 
themselves  to  his  clemency,  and  surrendered  to  him  their 
standards  and  their  arms.  The  Adelantado  then  directed 
twenty  soldiers  to  go  in  the  boat  and  bring  the  French,  ten 
by  ten.  The  river  was  narrow  and  easy  to  pass,  and  he  di- 
rected Diego  Flores  de  Valdes,  Admiral  of  the  Fleet,  to  re- 
ceive the  standards  and  the  arms,  and  to  go  in  the  boat  and 
see  that  the  soldiers  did  not  maltreat  them.  The  Adelan- 
tado then  withdrew  from  tlie  shore,  about  two  bow  shots, 
behind  a  hillock  of  sand,  within  a  copse  of  bushes,  where 
the  persons  who  came  in  the  boat  which  brought  over  the 
French,  could  not  see;  and  then  said  to  the  French  captain 
and  the  other  eight  Frenchmen  who  were  there  with  him, 
"Gentlemen,  I  have  but  few  men  with  me,  and  they  are  not 
very  efibctive,  and  you  are  numerous  ;  and,  going  unre- 
strained, it  would  be  an  easy  thing  to  take  satisfaction  upon 
our  men  for  those  whom  we  destroyed  when  we  took  the 
fort;  and  thus  it  is  necessary  that  you  should  march  with 
hands  tied  behind,  a  distance  of  four  leau:ucs  from  here 
where  I  have  my  camp."  The  French  replied  "that  they 
would  do  so;"  and  they  had  their  hands  tied  strongly  behind 
their  backs  with  the  match  ropes  of  the  soldiers;  and  the 
ten  who  came  in  the  boat  did  not  see  those  who  had  their 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  45 

hands  tied,  until  they  came  up  to  the  same  place,  for  it  was 
so  arranged,  in  order  that  the  French  who  had  not  passed 
the  river,  should  not  understand  what  was  being  done,  and 
might  not  be  offended,  and  thus  were  tied  two  hundred  and 
eisrht  Frenchmen.  Of  whom  the  Adelantado  asked  that  if 
any  among  them  were  Catholics,  they  should  declare  it. 
Eight  said  that  they  Avere  Catliolics,  and  were  separated 
from  the  others  and  placed  in  a  boat,  that  they  might  go  by 
the  river  to  St.  Augustine ;  and  all  the  rest  replied  "that 
they  were  of  the  new  religion,  and  held  themselves  to  be 
very  good  Christians ;  that  this  was  their  faith  and  no  other." 
The  Adelantado  then  gave  the  order  to  march  with  them, 
having  first  given  them  meat  and  drink,  as  each  ten  arrived, 
before  being  tied,  which  was  done  before  the  succeeding  ten 
arrived;  and  he  directed  one  of  his  captains  who  marched 
with  the  vanguard,  that  at  a  certain  distance  from  there  be 
would  observe  a  mark  made  by  a  lance,  which  he  carried  in 
his  hand,  which  would  be  in  a  sandy  place  that  they  would 
be  obliged  to  pass  in  going  on  their  way  towards  the  fort  of 
St.  Augustine,  and  that  there  the  prisoners  should  all  be 
destroyed ;  and  he  gave  the  one  in  command  of  the  rear- 
guard the  same  orders  ;  and  it  was  done  accordingly  ;  when, 
leaving  there  all  of  the  dead,  they  returned  the  same  night 
before  dawn,  to  the  fort  at  St.  Augustine,  although  it  was 
already  sundown  when  the  men  were  killed.'  "* 

Such  is  the  second  part  of  this  sad  and  bloody  tragedy  ; 
which  took  place  at  the  Matanzas  Inlet,  about  eighteen  miles 
south  of  the  city  of  St.  Augustine,  and  at  the  southerly  end 
of  Anastasia  Island.  The  account  we  have  given,  it  must 
be  borne  in  mind,  is  that  of  De  Solis,  the  brother-in-law  and 
apologist  of  Menendez ;  but  even  under  his  extenuating 
hand  the  conduct  of  Menendez  was  that  of  one  deaf  to  the 
voice  of  humanity,  and  exulting  in  cold-blooded  treachery, 
dealing  in  vague  generalities  intended  to  deceive,  while 
atibrding  a  shallow  apology  for  the  actor.  A  massacre  in 
cold  blood  of  poor  shipwrecked,  famished  men,  prisoners 
yielding  themselves  to  an  expected  clemency,  tied  up  like 
sheep,  and  butchered  by  poignard  blows  from  behind, 
shocked  alike  the  moral  sense  of  all  to  whom  the  tale  came, 
without  regard  to  faith  or  flag. 

*  Barcia,  p.  87. 


46  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

FATE  OF  RIBAULT  AND  HIS  FOLLOWERS— BLOODY  MASSA- 
CRE AT  MATANZAS— 1565. 

The  first  detachment  of  the  French  whom  Menendez  met 
and  so  utterly  destroyed,  constituted  the  complement  ot  a 
single  vessel,  which  had  been  thrown  ashore  at  a  more 
northerly  point  than  the  others.  All  these  vessels  were 
wrecked  between  Mosquito  Inlet  and  Matanzas. 

Of  the  fate  of  the  main  detachment,  under  Ribault  in  per- 
son, we  have  the  following  account,  as  related  by  the  same 
apologist,  the  chaplain  De  Solis: 

"  On  the  next  day  following  the  return  of  the  Adelantado 
at  St.  Augustine,  the  same  Indians  who  came  before  returned, 
and  said  that 'a  great  many  more  Christians  were  at  the 
same  part  of  the  river  as  the  others  had  been.'  The  Ade- 
lantado concluded  that  it  must  be  Jean  Hibault,  the  General 
of  the  Lutherans  at  sea  and  on  land,  whom  they  called  the 
Viceroy  of  this  country  for  the  king  of  France.  He  imme- 
diately went,  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  in  good  order, 
and  reached  the  place  where  he  had  lodged  the  first  time,  at 
about  midnight;  and  at  dawn  he  pushed  forward  to  the  river, 
with  his  men  drawn  out,  and  when  it  was  daylight,  he  saw, 
two  bow-shots  from  the  other  bank  of  the  river,  many  per- 
sons, and  a  raft  made  to  cross  over  the  people,  at  the  place 
where  the  Adelantado  stood.  But  immediatelv,  when  the 
French  saw  the  Adelantado  and  his  people,  the}'  took  arms, 
and  displayed  a  ro3'al  standard  and  two  standards  of  compa- 
nies, sounding  fifes  and  drums,  in  very  good  order,  and 
showing  a  front  of  battle  to  the  Adelantado ;  who,  having 
ordered  his  men  to  sit  down  and  take  their  breakfast,  so 
that  they  nuidc  no  demonstration  of  any  change,  he  himself 
walked  up  and  down  the  shore,  with  his  admiral  and  two 
other  captains,  paying  no  attention  to  the  movement  and 
demonstration  of  battle  of  the  French;  so  that  they  ob- 
serving this,  halted  and  the  fifes  and  the  drums  ceased, 
while  with  a  bugle  note  they  unfurled  the  white  flag  of 
peace,  which  was  returned  by  the  Adelantado.  A  French- 
man placed  himself  upon  the  raft,  and  cried  with  a  loud 
voice  that  he  wished  to  cross  over,  but  that  owing  to  the 


OF   ST.    AUGUBTINE,    FLORIDA..-  47 


force  of  the  cnrreut  ho  could  not  bring  the  raft  over,  and 
desired  an  Indian  canoe  which  was  there  to  be  sent  over. 
The  Adehmtado  said  he  could  swiniover  for  it,  under  pledge 
of  liis  word.  A  French  sailor  immediately  came  over,  but 
the  General  would  not  permit  him  to  speak  with  him,  l)ut 
directed  him  to  take  the  canoe,  and  go  and  tell  his  captain, 
that  inasmuch  as  he  called  for  a  conference,  if  he  desired 
anvthinii:  he  should  send  over  some  one  to  communicate 
with  him.  The  same  sailor  immediately  came  with  a  gen- 
tleman, who  said  he  was  the  sergeant  major  of  Jean  Hibault, 
Vicerov  and  Captain  General  of  this  land  for  the  king  of 
France,  and  that  he  had  sent  him  to  say,  that  they  had  been 
wrecked  with  tlieir  fleet  in  a  great  storm,  and  that  he  liad 
with  him  three  liundred  and  tiftv  French  ;  that  they  wished 
to  go  to  a  fort  which  they  lield,  twent}'  leagues  from  tliere ; 
that  they  wished  the  favor  of  boats,  to  pass  this  river,  and 
the  otlier,  four  leagues  further  on,  and  that  he  ^lesired  to 
know  if  they  were  !Si)aniards.  and  under  what  leader  they 
served. 

"  The  Adelantado  answered  him,  that  they  were  Span- 
iards, and  that  the  captain  under  whom  they  served  was  the 
person  now  addressing  him,  and  was  called  Pedro  Menen- 
dez.  That  he  should  tell  his  General  tliat  the  fort  which 
lie  held  twenty  leagues  from  thei-e  had  been  taken  by  him, 
and  he  had  destroyed  all  the  French,  and  the  rest  who  had 
come  with  the  fleet,  because  they  were  badly  governed  ;  and 
then,  passing  thence  to  where  tlie  dead  bodies  of  the  French- 
men whom  he  had  killed  still  lay  unburied,  pointed  them 
out  to  him  and  said,  therefore  he  could  not  permit  them  to 
pass  the  river  to  their  fort. 

"The  sergeant,  with  an  unmoved  countenance,  and  with- 
out any  appearance  of  uneasiness  on  account  of  what  the 
Adehmtado  had  said,  replied,  that  if  he  would  have  the  good- 
ness to  send  a  gentleman  of  his  party,  to  say  to  the  French 
general,  that  they  might  negotiate  with  safety,  the  people 
were  much  exhausted,  and  the  general  would  come  over  in 
a  boat  which  was  there.  The  Adelantado  replied,  'Fare- 
well, comrade,  and  bear  the  answer  which  they  shall  give 
you;  and  if  your  general  desires  to  come  and  treat  with  me, 
I  give  my  word  that  he  shall  come  and  return  securely,  with 
four  or  six  of  his  people  whom  he  may  select  for  his  ad- 
visors, that  he  may  do  whatever  he  may  conclude  to  be 
best.' 

"  The  French  gentleman  then  departed  with  this  message. 
AXnthin  half  an  hour  he  returned  to  accept  the  assurance  the 


48  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 

Adelantado  liad  given,  and  to  obtain  the  boat;  wliich  the 
Adelantado  was  unwilling  to  let  him  have,  but  said  he  could 
use  the  canoe,  which  was  safe,  and  the  strait  was  narrow  : 
and  he  again  went  back  with  this  message. 

"  Immediatel}'  Jean  Ribault  came  over,  whom  the  Ade- 
lantado received  very  well,  with  other  eight  gentleman,  who 
had  come  with  him.  Thev  were  all  f^entlemen  of  rank  and 
position.  He  gave  theiii  a  collation,  and  would  have  given 
them  food  if  they  had  desired.  Jean  Ribault  with  much  hu- 
mility, thanked  him  for  his  kind  reception,  and  said  that  to 
raise  their  spirits,  much  depressed  by  the  sad  news  of  the  death 
of  their  comrades,  they  would  partake  only  of  the  wine  and 
condiments,  and  did  not  wish  anything  else  to  eat.  Then 
after  eating,  Jean  Ribault  said,  'that  he  saw  that  those  his 
companions  were  dead,  and  that  he  could  not  be  mistaken  if 
he  desired  to  be.'  Then  the  Adelantado  directed  the  sol- 
diers to  bring  each  one  whatever  he  had  taken  from  the 
fort:  and  he  saw  so  manv  thintrs  that  he  kne^v  for  certain 
that  it  was  taken  :  although  he  knew  this  before,  j^et  he 
could  not  wholly  believe  it,  because  among  his  men  there 
was  a  Frenchman  by  name  of  Barbero,  of  those  whom  the 
Adehmtado  had  ordered  to  be  destroyed  with  the  rest,  and 
was  left  for  dead  with  the  others,  having  with  the  first  thrust 
he  received  fallen  down  and  made  as  though  he  were  dead, 
and  when  they  left  there  he  had  passed  over  by  swimming, 
to  Ribault ;  and  tliis  Barbero  held  it  for  certain  that  the  Ade- 
lantado had  deceived  them  in  saying  that  the  fort  was  taken, 
it  not  being  so;  and  thus  until  now  he  had  supposed.  The 
Adelantado  said  that  in  order  with  more  certainty  to  believe 
this  and  satisfy  himself,  he  might  converse  apart  with  the 
two  Frenchmen  who  were  present,  to  satisfy  him  better: 
which  he  did. 

"Immediately  Jean  Ribault  came  towards  the  Adela:itado 
and  said,  'it  was  certain  that'all  which  he  had  told  him  was 
true;  but  that  what  had  happened  to  liim,  might  have  hap- 
pened to  the  Adelantado  ;  and  since  their  kings  were  brotli- 
ers,  and  such  great  friends,  the  Adelantado  should  act  to- 
wards him  as  a  friend,  and  give  him  ships  and  provisions, 
that  he  mis^ht  return  to  France.' 

"The  Adelantado  replied  in  the  same  manner  that  he  liad 
done  to  the  other  Frenchmen,  as  to  what  he  would  do;  and 
that  taking  it  or  leaving  it.  Jean  Kibault  could  obtain  no- 
thing further  from  the  Adelantado.  Jean  Ribault  then  said 
that  he  would  go  and  give  an  account  of  matters  to  his  peo- 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,  FLORIDA.  49 

pie,  for  he  had  among  them  many  of  noble  blood ;  and 
would  return  or  send  an  answer  as  to  what  he  would  do. 

"Three  hours  afterwards,  Jean  Ribault  returned  in  the 
canoe,  and  said,  'that  there  were  different  opinions  among 
his  people;  that  while  some  were  willing  to  yield  them- 
selves to  his  clemency,  others  were  not.'  The  Adclantado 
replied  '  that  it  mattered  but  little  to  him  whether  they  all 
came,  or  a  part,  or  none  at  all ;  that  they  should  do  as  it 
pleased  them,  and  he  would  act  with  the  same  liberty.'  Jean 
Ribault  said  to  him,  '  that  the  half  of  the  people  who  were 
willing  to  yield  themselves  to  his  clemency,  would  pay  him 
a  ransom  of  more  than  100,000  ducats  ;  and  the  other  half 
were  able  to  pay  more,  for  there  were  among  them  persons 
of  wealth  and  large  incomes,  who  had  desired  to  establish 
estates  in  this  country.'  The  Adelantado  answered  him, 
'  It  would  grieve  me  much  to  lose  so  great  and  rich  a  ran- 
som, under  the  necessity  I  am  under  for  such  aid,  to  carry 
forward  the  conquest  and  settlement  of  this  land,  in  the 
name  of  my  king,  as  is  my  duty,  and  to  plant  here  the  Holy 
Evangel.'  Jean  Ribault  considered  from  this,  that  with  the 
amount  they  could  all  give,  he  might  be  induced  to  spare 
his  own  life  and  that  of  all  the  others  who  were  with  him,  and 
that  they  might  be  able  to  pay  more  than  200,000  ducats; 
and  he  said  to  the  Adelantado,  '  that  he  would  return  with 
his  answer  to  his  people ;  that  as  it  was  late,  he  would  take 
it  as  a  favor  if  he  would  be  willing  to  wait  until  the  following 
day,  when  he  would  bring  their  repl}^  as  to  what  they  would 
conclude  to  do.'  The  Adelantado  said,  'Yes,  that  he  would 
wait.'  Jean  Ribault  then  went  back  to  his  people,  it  being 
already  sunset.  In  the  morning,  he  returned  with  the  canoe, 
and  surrendered  to  the  Adelantado  two  royal  standards — 
the  one  that  of  the  king  of  France,  the  other  that  of  the 
Admiral  (Coligny), — and  the  standards  of  the  company,  and 
a  sword,  dagger,  and  helmet,  gilded  verj^  beautifully  ;  and 
also  a  shield,  a  pistol,  and  a  commission  given  him  under 
the  high  admiral  of  France,  to  assure  to  him  his  title  and 
possessions. 

"  He  then  said  to  him,  '  that  but  one  hundred  and  fifty  of 
the  three  hundred  and  fiftv  whom  he  had  with  him  were 
willing  to  yield  to  his  clemency,  and  that  the  others  had 
withdrawn  during  the  night ;  and  that  they  might  take  the 
boat  and  bring  those  who  were  willing  to  come  over,  and 
their  arras.'  The  Adelantado  immediately  directed  the  cap- 
tain, Diego  Flores  Valdes,  Admiral  of  the  fleet,  that  he 
should  bring  them  over  as  he  had  done  the  others,  ten  by 
4 


50  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 

ten  ;  and  tlie  Adelaiitado,  taking  Jean  Eibault  behind  the 
sand  hills,  among  the  bushes  where  the  others  had  their 
Lands  tied  behind  them,  he  said  to  these  and  all  the  others 
as  he  had  done  before,  that  they  had  four  leagues  to  go  after 
night,  and  that  he  could  not  permit  them  to  go  unbound ; 
and  after  they  were  all  tied,  he  asked  if  they  were  Catholics 
or  Lutherans,  or  if  anj'  of  them  desired  to  make  confession. 

"Jean  Tiibault  replied,  'that  all  wlio  were  there  were  of 
the  new  religion,'  and  he  then  began  to  repeat  the  psalm, 
'  DomineJ  Memento  !  Met;'  and  having  finished,  he  said,  '  that 
from  dust  they  came  and  to  dust  they  must  return,  and  that 
in  twenty  years,  more  or  less,  he  must  render  his  final  ac- 
count ;  that  the  Adelantado  might  do  with  them  as  he 
chose.'  The  Adelantado  then  ordered  all  to  be  killed,  in 
the  same  order  and  at  the  same  mark,  as  had  been  done  to 
the  others.  He  spared  only  the  fifcrs,  drummers,  and  trum- 
peters, and  four  others  Avho  said  that  they  were  Catholics,  in 
all,  sixteen  persons."  "  Todos  los  demas  faeron  degallados," — 
"all  the  rest  were  slaughtered,"  is  the  sententious  summary 
by  which  Padre  de  Solis  announced  the  close  of  the  sad 
career  of  the  gray-haired  veteran,  the  brave  soldier,  the  Ad- 
miral Jean  Eibault,  and  his  companions.* 

At  some  point  on  the  thickly-wooded  shores  of  the  Island 
of  Anastasio,  or  beneath  the  shifting  moundsof  sand  which 
mark  its  shores,  may  still  lie  the  bones  of  some  of  the  three 
hundred  and  fifty  who,  spared  from  destruction  by  the  tem- 
pest, and  escaping  the  perils  of  the  sea  and  of  the  savage, 
fell  victims  to  the  vindictive  rancor  and  blind  rage  of  one 
than  whom  history  recalls  none  more  cruel,  or  less  humane. 
But  while  their  bones,  scattered  on  earth  and  sea,  unhonored 
and  unburied,  were  lost  to  human  sight,  the  talc  of  their 
destruction  and  sjid  fate,  scattered  in  like  manner  over  the 
whole  world,  has  raised  to  their  memory  through  sympathy 
with  their  fate,  a  memorial  which  will  endure  as  long  as  the 
pages  of  history. 

The  Adelantado  returned  that  night  to  St.  Augustine, 
where,  says  his  apologist,  some  persons  censured  hira  for 
his  cruelty.  Others  commended  what  he  had  done,  as  the 
act  of  a  good  general,  and  said  that  even  if  they  had  been 
Catholics,  he  could  not  have  done  more  Justly  than  he  had 
done  for  them  ;  for  with  the  few  provisions  that  the  Adelan- 
tado had,  either  the  one  or  the  other  people  would  have  had 
to  perish  with  hunger,  and  the  French  would  have  destroyed 
our  people  :  they  were  the  most  numerous.! 

*  Barcia,  p.  89.  t  Barcia,  p.  89. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  51 

We  have  still  to  trace  the  fate  of  the  body  of  two  hundred, 
who  retired  from  Ribaiilt  after  his  final  determination  to 
surrender  to  the  tender  mercies  of  Menendez.  As  we  are 
already  aware,  it  comprised  the  elite  of  his  force,  men  of 
standing  and  rank,  and  whose  spirits  had  retained  energy 
to  combat  against  the  natural  discouragements  of  their  po- 
sition ;  and  they  adopted  the  nobler  resolve  of  selling  their 
lives,  at  least  with  their  swords  in  their  hands. 

De  Solis  proceeds  to  give  the  following  further  account  of 
them : — 

"  Twenty  days  subsequently  to  the  destruction  of  these, 
some  Indians  came  to  the  Adelantado,  and  informed  him  by 
signs,  that  eight  days'  journey  from  here  to  the  southward, 
near  the  Bahama  Channel,  at  Canaveral,  a  large  number  of 
people,  brethren  of  those  whom  the  General  had  caused  to 
be  killed,  were  building  a  fort  and  a  vessel.  The  Adelan- 
tado at  once  came  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  French  had 
retired  to  the  place  where  their  vessels  were  wrecked,  and 
where  their  artillery  and  munitions,  and  provisions  were,  in 
order  to  build  a  vessel  and  return  to  France  to  procure  suc- 
cor. Tbe  General  thereupon  dispatched  from  St.  Augus- 
tine to  St.  Matteo,  ten  of  his  soldiers,  conveying  intelligence 
of  what  had  taken  place,  and  directing  that  they  should 
send  to  him  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  soldiers  there, 
with  the  thirtj^-five  others  who  remained  when  he  returned 
to  St.  Auo^ustine,  after  takinc;  the  fort.  The  master  of  the 
(•amp  immediately  dispatched  them,  under  command  of  Cap- 
tains Juan  Velez  de  Medrano  and  Andrez  Lopez  Patrio ; 
and  they  arrived  at  St.  Augustine  on  October  23d.  On  the 
25th,  after  having  heard  mass,  the  Adelantado  departed  for 
the  coast,  with  three  hundred  men,  and  three  small  vessels 
to  go  by  sea  with  the  arms  and  provisions  ;  and  the  vessels 
were  to  go  along  and  progress  equally  with  the  troops ;  and 
each  niglit  when  the  troops  halted,  the  vessels  also  anchored 
by  them,  for  it  was  a  clear  and  sandy  coast. 

"The  Adelantado  carried  in  the  three  vessels  provisions 
for  forty  days  for  three  hundred  men,  and  one  day's  ration 
was  to  last  for  two  days ;  and  he  promised  to  do  everything 
tor  the  general  good  of  all,  although  they  might  have  to 
undergo  many  dangers  and  privations;  that  he  had  great 
liope  that  he  would  have  the  goodness  and  mercy  of  God  to 
aid  him  in  carrying  through  safely  this  so  holy  and  pious  an 
undertaking.  He'then  took  leave  of  them,  leaving  most  of 
them  in  tears,  for  he  was  much  loved,  feared,  and  respected 
by  all.* 

*  Barcia,  p.  89. 


52  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

"The  Adelantado,  after  a  wearisome  journey,  marcbing 
on  foot  himself  the  whole  distance,  arrived  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  French  camp  on  All  Saints  Day,  at  daylight, 
guided  by  the  Indians  by  land,  and  the  three  vessels  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Diego  de  Maya.  As  soon. as  the 
Frencb  descried  the  Spaniards,  they  fled  to  their  fort,  with- 
out any  remaining.  The  Adelantado  sent  them  a  trum- 
peter, offering  them  their  lives,  that  they  should  return  and 
should  receive  the  same  treatment  as  the  Spaniards,  One 
hundred  and  fifty  came  to  the  Adelantado  ;  and  their  leader, 
with  twenty  others,  sent  to  say  that  they  would  sooner  be 
devoured  by  the  Indians,  than  surrender  themselves  to  the 
Spaniards.  The  Adelantado  received  those  who  surren- 
dered, very  well,  and  having  set  fire  to  the  fort,  which  was 
of  wood,  burned  the  vessel  which  they  were  building,  and 
buried  the  artillery,  for  the  vessels  could  not  carry  them." 

De  Solis  here  closes  his  account  of  the  matter;  but  from 
other  accounts  we  learn  that  the  Adelantado  kept  his  faith 
on  this  occasion  with  them,  and  tliat  some  entered  his  ser- 
vice, some  were  converted  to  his  faith,  and  others  returned 
to  France  ;  and  thus  ended  the  Huguenot  attempt  to  colo- 
nize the  shores  of  Florida. 

There  are  several  other  accounts  of  the  fate  of  Ribault 
and  his  followers,  drawn  from  the  narratives  of  survivors 
of  the  expedition,  which,  without  varying  the  general  order 
of  events,  fill  in  sundry  details  of  the  massacres.  The  main 
point  of  difterence  is,  as  to  the  pledges  or  assurances  given 
by  Menendez.  The  French  accounts  say  that  he  pledged 
his  faith  to  them  that  their  lives  should  be  spared.*  It  will 
be  seen  that  tUe  Spanish  account  denies  that  he  did  so,  but 
makes  him  use  language  subject  to  misconstruction,  and 
calculated  to  deceive  them  into  the  hope  and  expectation  of 
safety.  I  do  not  see  that  in  a  Christian  or  even  moral  view 
there  is  much  difterence  between  an  open  breach  of  faith 
and  the  breach  of  an  implied  faith,  particularly  when  it  was 
only  by  this  deception  that  the  surrender  could  have  been 
accomplished.  ■  Nor  could  Menendez  have  had  a  very  deli- 
cate sense  of  the  value  of  the  word  of  a  soldier,  a  Christian, 
and  a  gentleman,  when,  as  his  apologist  admits,  he  did  di- 
rectly use  the  language  of  falsehood,  to  induce  them  to  sub- 
mit to  the  degradation  of  having  their  hands  tied. 

Nor,  considered  in  its  broader  aspects,  is  it  a  matter  of  any 

*  Such  was  the  understanding  of  those  who  then  wrote  in  reference  to 
the  transaction,  as  Barcia  admits. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  63 

consequence  whether  he  gave  his  word  or  no ;  nor  does  it 
lessen  the  enormity  of  his  conduct,  had  they  submitted 
themselves  in  the  most  unreserv^ed  mannerto  his  discretion. 
France  and  Spain  were  at  peace  ;  no  act  of  hostility  had 
been  committed  bv  the  French  toward  the  Spaniards  ;  and 
Kibault  asked  only  to  be  allowed  to  pass  on.  In  violation 
alike  of  the  laws  of  war  and  the  law  of  humanity,  he  first 
induced  them  to  surrender,  to  abide  what  God,  whose  holy 
name  he  invoked,  should  put  into  his  heart  to  do,  and  then 
cajoling  them  into  allowing  their  hands  to  be  tied,  he  or- 
dered them  to  be  killed,  in  their  bonds  as  they  stood,  de- 
fenseless, helpless,  wrecked,  and  famished  men.  It  would 
have  been  a  base  blot  upon  human  nature,  had  he  thus 
served  the  most  savage  tribe  of  nations,  standing  on  that  far 
shore,  brought  into  the  common  sympathy  of  want  and  suf- 
fering. The  act  seems  one  of  monstrous  atrocity,  when  com- 
mitted against  the  people  of  a  sister  nation. 


54  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 


CHAPTER    IX. 

foPvTifyi:n"g  of  st.  augustine— disaffctioxs  and  mu- 
tinies—appeoyal  OF  MENENDEZ'  ACTS  BY  THE  KING 

OF  SPAIN.  1565-1568. 

During  the  time  of  the  several  expeditions  'of  the  Acle- 
lantado  against  the  French  Huguenots,  the  fortification 
and  strengthening  of  the  defenses  of  the  settlement  at  iSt. 
Augustine  had  not  been  neglected.  The  fort,  or  Indian 
council-house,  which  had  heen  first  fortified,  seems  to  have 
been  consumed  in  the  conflagation  spoken  of;  and  there- 
upon a  plan  of  a  regular  fortification  or  fort  was  marked 
out  ])y  Menendcz  ;  and,  as  there  existed  some  danger  of  the 
return  of  the  French,  the  Spaniards  labored  unceasingly 
with  their  whole  force,  to  put  it  in  a  respectable  state  of  de- 
fense. From  an  engraving  contained  in  De  Bry,  iUustrating 
the  attack  of  Sir  Francis  Drake,  twenty  years  afterwards, 
this  fort  appears  to  have  been  an  octagonal  structure  of  logs, 
and  located  near  the  site  of  the  present  fort,  while  the  set- 
tlement itself  was  probably  made  in  the  first  instance,  at 
the  lower  end  of  the  peninsula,  near  the  building  now  called 
"the  powder-house." 

He  also  established  a  government  for  the  place,  with  civil 
and  military  officials,  a  hall  of  justice,  etc. 

All  of  these  matters  were  arranged  by  Menendcz  before 
his  expedition  against  the  French  at  Canaveral,  of  whom 
one  hundred  and  tiftv  returned  with  him,  and  were  received 
upon  an  equal  footing  with  his  own  men,  the  more  distin- 
guished being  received  at  his  own  table  upon  the  most 
friendly  terms;  a  clemency  which,  with  a  knowledge  of  his 
character,  can  only  be  ascribed  to  motives  of  policy.  The 
position  of  the  French  at  Canaveral  was  probably  inaccessi- 
ble, as  they  had  their  arms,  besides  artillery  brought  from 
the  vessels;  and  the  duplicity  which  had  characterized  his 
success  with  their  comrades,  was  out  of  the  question  here  ; 
the  French  could  therefore  exact  their  own  terms,  and  un- 
shackled could  forcibly  resist  any  attempt  at  treachery. 

The  addition  of  this  number  to  his  force  le.«;sened  the 
already  diminished  supply  of  provisions  which  Menendcz 
had  brought  with  him  ;  and  want  soon  began  to  threaten  his 
camp.     He   sent   as  many  of  his  soldiers  as  he  could   into 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  65 

» 

camp  at  San  Matteo,  and  endeav^ored  to  dra^v  supplies  from 
the  Indians  ;  but  unfortunately  for  liini,  the  country  between 
the  St.  Johns  and  St.  Auo'ustine  was  under  the  rule  of  the 
Indian  Chief,  Satouriara,  the  friend  (and  ally  of  the  French), 
whose  hostility  the  Spaniards  were  never  able  to  overcome. 
Satouriara  and  his  followers  withdrew  from  all  peaceable 
intercourse  with  the  Spaniards,  and  hung  about  their  path 
to  destroy,  harrass,  and  cut  them  off  upon  every  possible 
occasion. 

The  winter  succeeding  the  settlement  of  the  Spaniards  at 
St.  Auo:ustine,  was  most  distressinoj  and  discouraa-ins:  to 
them.  The  lack  of  provisions  in  their  camp  drove  them  to 
seek,  in  the  surrounding-  country,  subsistence  from  the  roots 
and  esculent  plants  it  might  aftbrd,  or  to  obtain  in  tlie  neigh- 
boring creeks,  fish  and  oysters;  but  no  sooner  did  a  Spaniard 
venture  out  alone  bej-ond  the  gates  of  the  fort,  than  he  was 
grasped,  by  some  unseen  foe,  from  the  low  underbrush  and 
put  to  death,  or  a  shower  of  arrows  from  some  tree-top  was 
his  first  intimation  of  danger ;  if  he  discharged  his  arque- 
buse  towards  his  invisible  assailants,  others  would  spring 
upon  him  before  he  could  reload  his  piece;  or,  if  he  at- 
tempted to  find  fish  and  oysters  in  some  quiet  creek,  the 
noiseless  canoe  of  an  Indian  would  dart  in  upon  him,  and 
the  heavy  war-club  of  the  savage  descending  upon  his  un- 
protected head,  end  his  existence.  Against  such  a  foe,  no  de- 
fense could  avail ;  and  it  is  related  that  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  of  the  Spaniards  were  thus  killed,  including 
Captain  Martin  de  Ochoa,  Captain  Diego  de  Hevia,  Fer- 
nando de  Gamboa,  and  Juan  Menendez,  a  nephew  of  the 
Adelantado,  and  man}^  others  of  the  bravest  and  most  dis- 
tinguished of  the  garrison. 

In  this  crisis  of  affairs,  the  Governor  concluded  to  go  to 
Cuba  himself,  to  obtain  relief  for  his  colony.  He  in  the 
meantime  established  a  fort  at  St.  Lucia,  near  Canaveral. 
A  considerable  jealousy  seems  to  have  existed  on  the  part 
of  the  governor  of  Cuba;  and  he  received  IMenendez  with 
great  coolness,  and  in  reply  to  his  appeals  for  aid,  only  of- 
fered an  empty  vessel.  In  this  emergency,  Menendez  con- 
templated, as  his  only  means  of  obtaining  what  he  wished, 
to  go  upon  a  filibustering  expedition  against  some  Portu- 
guese and  English  vessels  which  were  in  those  waters.  While 
making  preparations  to  do  this,  four  vessels  of  the  fleet  with 
which  he  had  left  Spain,  and  which  had  been  supposed  lost, 
arrived ;  and  after  dispatcliing  a  vessel  to  Campeachy  for 
provisions,  he  commenced  his  return  voyage  to  his  colony, 


56  THE    HISTORY    AND   ANTIQUITIES 

delavincc  however  for  a  time  in  South  Florida,  to  seek  intel- 
ligence  among  the  Indians  of  his  lost  son. 

In  the  meantime  his  garrisons  at  St.  Augustine  and  San 
Matteo  had  mutinied,  and  were  in  open  revolt;  provisions 
had  become  so  scarce  that  twenty-five  reals  had  been  given  for 
a  pound  of  biscuit,  and  but  for  the  fish  they  would  have 
starved.  The}'  plundered  the  public  stores,  imprisoned  their 
officers,  and  seized  upon  a  vessel  laden  with  provisions 
which  had  been  sent  to  the  e:arrison.  The  Master  of  the 
Camp  succeeded  in  escaping  from  confinement  and  releasing 
his  fellow  prisoners,  by  a  bold  movement  cut  off"  the  inter- 
course between  the  mutineers  on  board  the  vessel  and  those 
on  shore,  and  luing  the  Sergeant  Major,  who  was  at  the  head 
of  the  movement.  The  Commandant  then  attempted  to 
attack  those  in  the  vessel,  and  was  nearly  lost  with  his  com- 
panions, by  being  wrecked  on  the  bar.  The  vessel  made 
sail  to  the  West  India  Islands.  The  garrison  at  San  ^Matteo 
took  a  vessel  there  and  come  around  to  St.  Augustine,  but 
arrived  after  their  accomplices  had  left. 

Disease  had  already  begun  to  make  its  ravages, 'and  added 
to  the  general  wish  to  leave  the  country;  which  all  would 
then  have  done  had  they  had  the  vessels  in  which  to  embark. 
They  used  for  their  recovery  from  sickness,  the  roots  of  a 
native  shrub,  which  produced  marvelous  cures. 

At  this  period  Menendez  returned  to  the  famished  garri- 
son, but  was  forced  to  permit  Juan  Vicente,  Avith  one  hun- 
dred of  the  'disaffected,  to  ero  to  St.  Domin2:o  bv  a  vessel 
which  he  dispatched  there  for  supplies;  and  it  is  said  that 
the  governors  of  the  islands  where  they  went,  harbored 
them,  and  that  of  some  five  hundred  who  on  different  occa- 
sions deserted  from  the  Adelantado,  and  all  of  whom  had 
been  brouglit  out  at  his  cost,  but  two  or  three  were  ever  re- 
turned to  him;  while  the  deserters  putting  their  own  con- 
struction upon  their  acts,  sent  home  to  the  king  of  Spain 
criminations  of  the  Adelantado,  and  represented  the  con- 
quest of  Florida  as  a  hopeless  and  worthless  acquisition  ; 
that  it  was  barren  and  swampy,  and  produced  nothing. 

After  this  defection,  ^Menendez  proceeded  along  the  coast 
to  San  Matteo,  and  thence  to  Quale,  Ainelia,  and  adjoining 
islands.  Crista  and  St.  Helena;  made  peaceful  proposals  to 
the  Indian  tribes,  lectured  them  upon  theology,  and  planted 
a  cross  at  their  council-houses.  The  caci(pie  of  Quale  asked 
Menendez  how  it  was  "  that  he  had  waged  war  upon  the 
other  white  men,  who  had  come  from  the  same  country  as 
himself?"     He  replied,  "  that  the  other  white  people  were 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  67 

bad  Christians,  and  believers  in  lies;  and  that  those  whom 
he  had  killed,  deserved  the  most  crnel  death,  because  they 
had  fled  their  own  conntrv,  and  came  to  mislead  and  deceive 
the  caciques  and  other  Indians,  as  they  had  already  before 
misled  and  deceived  many  other  good  Christians,  in  order 
that  the  devil  may  take  possession  of  them."  While  at  St. 
Helena  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  permission  of  the  Indians 
to  erect  a  tort  there,  and  he  left  a  detaclimcnt.  On  his  re- 
turn he  also  erected  fort  San  Felipe,  at  Crista;  and  after 
setting  up  a  cross  at  Gnale,  the  cacique  demanded  of  him, 
that  as  now  they  had  become  good  Christians,  he  should 
cause  rain  to  come  upon  their  fields  ;  for  a  drought  had  con- 
tinued eiiii;lit  months.  The  same  nio'ht  a  severe  rain-storm 
happened,  which  confirmed  the  faith  of  the  Indians,  and 
gained  the  Adelantado  great  credit  with  them.  While  here, 
he  learned  that  there  was  a  fugitive  Lutheran  among  the 
Indians,  and  he  took  some  pains  to  cause  to  be  given  to  the 
fugitive  hopes  of  good  treatment  if  he  would  come  into  the 
Spanish  post  at  St.  Helena,  while  he  gave  private  directions 
that  he  should  be  killed,  directing  his  lieutenant  to  make 
very  strange  of  his  disappearance;  an  incident  very  illus- 
trative of  the  vindictiveness  and  duplicity  of  Menendez.* 

He  returned  to  St.  Auirustine,  and  was  received  with  ffreat 
joy,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  completion  of  the  fort,  which 
was  to  frighten  the  savages,  and  enforce  respect  from  stran- 
gers. It  was  built,  it  is  said,  where  it  now  stands,  donde  este 
ahora,  (1722.) 

The  colony  left  at  St.  Helena  mutinied  almost  immedi- 
ately, and  seizing  a  vessel  sent  with  supplies,  sailed  for  Cuba, 
and  were  wrecked  on  the  Florida  Keys,  where  they  met  at 
an  Indian  town  the  mutineers  who  had  deserted  from  the 
fort  at  St.  Matteo  :  these  had  been  also  wrecked  there. 

The  garrison  again  becoming  much  straitened  for  provi- 
sions, the  Adelantado,  in  June,  was  obliged  to  go  to  Cuba 
for  succor.  He  was  received  with  indiflerence,  and  his 
wishes  unheeded.  He  applied  to  the  governor  of  Mexico, 
and  others  who  happened  to  be  there,  and  who  had  the 
power  of  assisting  him  ;  from  all  he  received  no  encourage- 
ment, but  the  advice  to  abandon  his  enterprise.  He  at  last 
pawned  his  jewels,  the  badge  of  his  order,  and  his  valuables, 
thus  obtaining  five  liundred  ducats  ;  with  which  he  pur- 
chased provisions,  and  set  sail  on  his  return,  with  only  sixty- 
five  men. 

But  just  at  this  period  succor  came    to  the   famished 

*  Ensay.  Cron.  110. 


58  THE   HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

troops;  a  fleet  of  seventeen  vessels  arrived  with  fifteen  hun- 
dred men  from  Spain,  under  Juan  de  Avila,  as  admiral. 
By  this  means  all  the  posts  were  succored  and  reinforced, 
and  the  enterprise  saved  from  destruction  ;  for  the  small 
supplies  brought  by  Menendez  would  have  been  soon  ex- 
hausted, and  further  efforts  being  out  of  his  power,  they 
would  have  been  forced  to  withdraw  from  the  country. 

The  admiral  of  the  fleet  also  had  entrusted  to  him  for  the 
Adelantado  a  letter  from  the  king,  written  on  the  12th  of 
May,  1566,  which,  among  other  matters,  contained  the  fol- 
lowing royal  commendation  of  the  acts  of  Menendez.  "  Of 
the  great  success  which  has  attended  your  enterprise,  we 
have  the  most  entire  satisfaction,  and  we  bear  in  memory 
the  loyalty,  the  love,  and  the  diligence,  with  which  you 
have  borne  us  service,  as  well  as  the  dangers  and  perils  in 
which  you  have  been  placed  ;  and  as  to  the  rdribatioii  you 
have  visited  upon  the  Lutheran  pirates  who  sought  to  oc- 
cupy that  country,  and  to  fortify  themselves  there,  in  order 
to  dis-^ominatc  in  it  their  wicked  creed,  and  to  prosecute 
there  their  wrongs  and  robberies,  which  they  have  done 
and  were  doing  against  God's  service  and  my  own,  Ave  be- 
lieve that  you  did  it  with  every  justification  and  propriety, 
and  WG  consider  ourself  to  have  been  *well  served  in  so 
doing."* 

To  this  commendation  of  Philip  II.,  it  is  unnecessary  to 
add  any  comment,  save  that  no  other  action  coukl  have 
been  expected  of  him.  And  of  Charles  the  Xiuth,  of 
France,  the  Spanish  historian  says  that  he  treated  the  me- 
morial of  the  widows  and  orphans  of  the  slain  with  con- 
tempt, "considering  their  punishment  to  have  been  just,  in 
that  they  were  equally  enemies  of  Spain,  of  France,  of  the 
Church,  and  of  the  peace  of  the  world." 

During  the  absence  of  Menendez  to  inspect  his  posts, 
disaflfection  asrain  broke  out;  and  findinji;  his  force  too  nu- 
merous,  he  with  sixteen  vessels  went  upon  a  freebooting 
expedition  to  attack  pirates.  He  failed  to  meet  with  any  ; 
but  having  learned  that  a  large  French  fleet  was  on  its  way, 
he  visited  and  fortified  the  forts  on  the  islands  of  Cuba, 
Hispaniola,  and  Puerto  Rico,  and  again  returned  to  Flor- 
ida ;  the  expected  French  fleet  never  having  arrived.  About 
this  time,  a  small  vessel  brought  from  Spain  three  learned 
and  exemplary  priests;  one  of  whom.  Padre  Martinez, 
landed  upon  the  coast  with  some  of  the  crew,  and  being 
unable  to  regain  the  vessel,  coasted  along  to  St.   George 

*  Ensayo  :  Cron.  115. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  59 

Island,  whore  he  was  attacked  and  murdered  hy  the  Indians, 
with  a  number  of  his  companions. 

The  following  year  was  principally  occupied  by  Menendez, 
n  sti-eiigthening  his  fortifications  at  his  three  forts,  in  visit- 
ing the  Indian  chiefs  at  their  towns,  and  exploring  the 
country.  One  of  his  expeditions  went  as  far  north  as  the 
thirty-seventh  degree  of  latitude  by  sea,  and  another  went 
to  the  foot  of  the  Apalachian  Mountains,  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  leagues,  and  established  a  fort.  The  former 
was  about  the  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake,  called  the  Santa 
Maria,*  and  the  land  expedition,  probably  to  the  up-country 
of  Georgia,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Rome. 

All  attempts  at  pacifying  their  warlike  neighbor  were  as 
fruitless  as  their  attempts  to  subjugate  him;  whether  in 
artifice  and  duplicity,  in  open  warfare,  or  secret  ambush, 
he  was  more  than  equal  to  the  Adelantado,  and  was  a 
worthy  ancestor  of  the  modern  Seminole, — never  present 
when  looked  for,  and  never  absent  when  an  opportunity  of 
striking  a  blow  occurred. 

The  Adelantado  having  had  built  an  extremely  slight 
vessel  of  less  than  twenty  tons,  called  a  frigate,  concluded  to 
visit  Spain,  and  ran  in  seventeen  days  to  the  Azores,  sailing 
seventy  leagues  per  day,  an  exploit  not  often  equaled  in 
modern  times.  He  was  received  with  great  joy  in  Spain, 
and  the  king  treated  him  with  much  consideration.  The 
Adelantado  felt  great  anxiety  to  return  to  his  colony, 
and  deprecated  the  delays  of  the  court,  fearing  the  result  of 
the  indignation  at  his  cruelty  to  the  Huguenots,  which,  says 
his  chronicler,  increased  day  by  day.f 

*  Pensacola  Bay  was  also  so  called, 
t  Ensayo:  Cron.   133. 


60  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 


CHAPTER    X. 

THE  NOTABLE    REVENGE  OF  DOillNIC   DE  G0URGUE3— RE- 
TURN OF  MENENDEZ— INDIAN  MISSION— 1568. 

"While  Menendez  thus  remained  at  the  Spanish  court 
urging  the  completion  of  his  business,  seeking  compensa- 
tion for  tliG  great  expenditures  which  he  had  made  in  the 
king's  service,  and  vindicating  himself  from  the  accusations 
which  had  been  preferred  against  him, — the  revenge,  the 
distant  murmurs  of  which  had  ah'eady  reached  his  ears,  fell 
upon  the  Spaniards  on  the  St.  Johns. 

Dominic  de  Gourgues,  one  of  those  soldiers  of  fortune 
who  then  abounded  throughout  Europe,  took  upon  himself 
the  expression  of  the  indignation  with  which  the  French 
nation  viewed  the  slaughter  of  their  countrymen.  From 
motives  of  policy,  or  from  feelings  still  less  creditable,  the 
French  court  ignored  the  event;  but  it  rankled  nevertheless 
in  the  national  heart,  and  many  a  secret  vow  of  revenge 
was  breathed,  the  low  whispers  of  which  reached  even  the 
confines  of  the  Spanish  court.  Conscience,  and  the  know- 
ledge that  the  sentiment  of  the  age  was  against  him,  made 
Menendez  from  the  moment  of  his  success  exceedingly 
anxious  lest  well-merited  retribution  should  fall  upon  his 
own  colony.  He  guarded  against  it  in  every  way  in  his 
power ;  he  strengthened  all  his  posts ;  he  erected  for  the 
protection  of  San  Matteo,  formerly  Fort  Caroline,  two  small 
forts  on  either  side  of  the  entrance  of  the  river,  at  the  points 
now  known  as  Batten  Island  and  Mayport  Mills.  He  placed 
large  garrisons  at  each  post,  and  had  made  such  arrange- 
ments against  surprise  or  open  attack  upon  his  forts,  that 
Father  Mendoza  boasted  that  "half  of  all  France  could  not 
take  them." 

De  Gourgues,  with  three  vessels  and  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  chosen  men,  animated  with  like  feelings  with  him- 
self, ai)[)eared  in  April,  1568,  ofi"  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Johns. 
The  Spanish  fort  received  his  vessels  with  a  salute,  sup- 
posing them  to  be  under  the  flag  of  Spain.  Do  Gourgues 
returned  the  salute,  thus  confirming  their  error.  He  then 
entered  the  St.  Marys,  called  the  Somme,  and  was  met  by 
a  large  concourse  of  Indians,  friendly  to  the  French  and  bit- 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  61 

terly  hostile  to  tbe  Spaniards,  at  the  head  of  whom  was  the 
stern  and  uncompromising  Saturioura.  Their  plans  were 
quickly  formed,  and  immediately  carried  into  execution. 
Their  place  of  rendezvous  was  the  Fort  George  Inlet,  called 
by  them  the  Sarabay ;  and  they  traversed  that  island  at  low 
tide,  fell  suddenly  upon  the  fort  at  Batten  Island  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river,  completely  surprising  it.  The  force 
occupying  the  Spanish  forts  amounted  to  four  hundred  men, 
one  hundred  and  twenty  of  whom  occupied  the  two  forts  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  the  remainder  Fort  Caroline. 
The  French  with  their  Indian  allies  approached  the  fort  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river  at  dav-break.  Having  waded  the 
intervening  marsh  and  creek,  to  the  great  damage  of  their 
feet  and  legs  by  reason  of  the  oyster  banks,  they  arrived 
within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  post,  when  they  were  dis- 
covered by  the  sentinel  upon  the  platform  of  the  fort ;  who 
immediately  cried,  ''to  arms,"  and  discharged  twice  at  the 
French  a  culverin  which  had  been  taken  at  Fort  Caroline. 
Before  he  could  load  it  a  third  time  the  brave  Olatocara 
leaped  upon  him,  and  killed  him  with  a  pike.  Gourgues 
then  charging  in,  the  garrison,  by  this  time  alarmed,  rushed 
out,  armed  hastily  and  seeking  escape ;  another  part  of 
Gourgues'  force  coming  up,  inclosed  the  Spaniards  between 
them,  and  all  but  fifteen  of  the  garrison  perished  on  the 
spot;  the  others  were  taken  prisoners,  only  to  be  reserved 
for  the  summary  vengeance  which  the  French  leader  medi- 
tated. 

The  Spanish  garrison  in  the  other  fort  kept  up  in  the 
mean  time  a  brisk  cannonade,  which  incommoded  the  as- 
sailants, who  however  soon  managed  to  point  the  pieces  mf 
the  fort  the}'  had  taken  ;  and  under  the  cover  of  this  fire  the 
French  crossed  to  the  other  fort,  their  Indian  allies  in  great 
numbers  swimming  with  them.  The  garrison  of  sixty  men, 
panic-struck,  made  no  attempt  at  resistance,  but  fled,  en- 
deavoring to  reach  the  main  fort ;  being  intercepted  by  the 
Indians  in  one  direction,  and  by  the  French  in  another,  but 
few  made  good  their  escape.  These,  arriving  at  Fort  Caro- 
line, carried  an  exaggerated  account  of  the  number  of  their 
assailants. 

De  Gourgues  at  once  pushed  forward  to  attack  Fort  Caro- 
line, while  its  defenders  were  terrified  at  the  suddenness  of 
his  attack,  and  the  supposed  strength  of  his  force.  Upon 
his  arrival  near  the  fort,  the  Spanish  commander  sent  out  a 
detachment  of  sixty  men,  to  make  a  reconnoisance.  De 
Gourgues  skilfully  interposed  a  body  of  his  own  men  with 


62  THE   HISTORY   AND   ANTIQUITIES 

a  large  number  of  the  Indians  between  the  reconnoitering 
party  and  the  fort,  and  then  with  his  main  force  charged 
upon  them  in  front :  when  the  Spaniards,  turning  to  seek  the 
shelter  of  the  fort,  were  met  by  the  force  in  their  rear,  and 
were  all  either  killed  or  taken  prisoners.  Seeing  this  mis- 
fortune, the  Spanish  commander  despaired  of  being  able  to 
hold  the  fortress,  and  determined  to  make  a  timely  retreat 
to  St.  Augustine.  In  attempting  this,  most  of  his  followers 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  and  were  slain  upon  the  . 
spot ;  the  commandant  with  a  few  others  alone  escaped. 

De  Gourgues,  now  comY)letely  successful  in  making  re- 
taliation for  the  fate  of  his  countrymen  on  the  same  spot 
where  they  suffered,  on  the  same  tree  which  had  borne  the 
bodies  of  the  Huguenots  caused  his  prisoners  to  be  sus- 
pended; and  as  Menedez  had  on  the  former  occasion  erected 
a  tablet  that  they  had  been  punished  "  not  as  Frenchmen 
but  as  Lutherans,"  so  De  Gourgues  in  like  manner  erected 
an  inscription  that  he  had  done  this  to  them  '■'■not  as  to 
Spaniards,  nor  as  to  outcasts,  but  as  to  traitors,  thieves  and  inur- 
dcrers."* 

After  inducing  the  Indians  to  destroy  the  forts,  and  to 
raze  them  to  the  ground,  he  set  sail  for  France,  arriving 
safely  without  further  adventure. 

His  conduct  was  at  the  time  disavowed  and  censured  by 
the  French  court;  and  the  Spanish  ambassador  had  the  as- 
surance, in  the  name  of  that  master  who  had  publicly  de- 
clared his  approval  of  the  conduct  of  Menendez,  to  demand 
the  surrender  of  De  Gourojues  to  his  vcngence.  The  brave 
c;^tain,  however  the  crown  might  seem  to  di^^approve,  was 
secretly  sustained  and  protected  by  many  distinguished  per- 
sons official  and  private,  and  by  the  mass  of  the  people  ;  to 
whom  his  boldness,  spirit,  and  signal  success  were  grateful. 
Some  years  afterwards  he  was  restored  to  the  fc.vor  of  his 
sovereign,  and  appointed  admiral  of  the  fleet. 

That  De  Gourgues  deserves  censure,  cannot  be  denied  ; 
but  there  will  alwavs  exist  an  admiration  for  his  couraije 
and  intrepid  valor,  with  a  sympathy  for  the  bitter  provoca- 
tions under  which  he  acted,  both  personal  and  national ;  a 
sympathy  not  shared  with  Menendez,  who  visited  his  wrath 
upon  the  religious  opinions  of  men,  while  De  Gourgues  was 
the  unauthorized  avenger  of  undoubted  crime  and  inhu- 
manity.    Both  acted  in  violation  of  the  pure  spirit  of  that 

*  Tcrniuix  Compan.*,  p.  oG7. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  63 

Christianity  which  they  alike  professed  to_revere,  under  the 
same  form. 

While  these  scenes  were  enacting  on  tlie  St.  Johns, 
Menendez  was  on  his  wa}^  to  his  coh^nies,  where  lie  first 
heard  of  the  descent  of  De  Gourgues,  then  on  his  way  back 
to  France.  The  Adelantado  upon  his  arrival  found  his 
troops  hungry  and  naked,  and  their  relations  with  the]  In- 
dians worse  than  ever.  Having  made  such  arrangements 
as  were  in  his  power,  he  returned  to  Havana,  to  further  his 
plans  for  introducing  Christianity  among  the  Indians;  to 
which,  to  his  credit  be  it  said,Mie  devoted  the  greater  share 
of  his  time  and  attention.  Father  Rogel  applied  himself  to 
learning  their  language,  with  great  success;  and  an  institu- 
tion was  established  in  Havana  especially  for  their  instruc- 
tion. In  the  Ensayo  Cronologica,  there  is  set  forth  in  full,  a 
rescript  addressed  by  Pope  Pius  V.,  to  Menendez,  conveying 
to  him  the  acknowleda-ements  of  his  Holiness  for  the  zeal 
and  loyalty  he  had  exhibited,  and  his  labors  in  carrying  the 
faith  to  the  Indians,  and  urging  hira  strongly  to  see  to  it 
that  his  Indian  converts  should  not  be  scandalized  by  the 
vicious  lives  of  their  white  brethren  who  claimed  to  be 
Christians. 

A  small  party  of  Spaniards,  as  has  already  been  men- 
tioned, accompanied  hy  a  priest,  De  Quiros,  had  been  left 
upon  the  Chesapeake,  and  under  the  auspices  of  a  young 
converted  chief,  who  had  been  some  time  with  the  Spaniards 
in  Havana  and  Florida,  anticipated  a  more  easy  access  to 
the  Indian  tribes  in  that  region.  Another  priest,  with  ten 
associates,  went  the  following  year;  when,  after  they  had 
sent  away  their  vessel,  they  discovered  that  their  predeces- 
sor had  been  murdered,  through  the  treachery  of  the  rene- 
gade apostate ;  and  they  themselves  shortly  fell  victims  to 
his  perfidy.  Menendez  dispatched  a  third  vessel  there  ; 
when  the  fate  of  the  two  former  parties  was  ascertained,  and 
he  went  in  person  to  chastise  the  murderers  ;  he  succeeded  in 
capturing  six  or  seven,  who,  it  is  said,  (rather  improbably  I 
think),  confessed  themselves  to  have  been  implicated  in  the 
massacre.  Menendez,  in  his  summary  and  sailor-like  way, 
ordered  theii;  execution  at  the  yard-arm  of  his  vessel.  The 
Cronicle  says  that  the}'  were  first  converted  and  baptized, 
by  the  zeal  of  Farther  Rogel,  before  the  sentence  was  car- 
ried into  execution.  A  long  period  elapsed  before  any 
further  efi'orts  were  made  in  this  quarter  to  establish  a  col- 
ony;  and  it  was  then  accomplished  by  the  English.  In  con- 
sequence of  these  temporary  establishments,  however,  the 


64  THE    HISTORY   AND   ANTIQUITIES 

Spanish  crowu,  for  a  long  period,  claimed  the  whole  of  the 
intervening  country,  as  lying  within  its  Province  of  Florida. 

The  annals  of  the  city  during  the  remainder  of  the  life  of 
Menendez,  present  only  the  usual  vicissitudes  of  new  set- 
tlements,— the  alternations  of  supply  and  want,  occasional 
disaft'ections,  and  petty  annoyances. 

Menendez  was  the  recipient  from  his  court  of  new  hon- 
ors from  time  to  time,  and  had  heen  appointed  the  grand 
admiral  of  the  Spanish  Armada;  when,  in  September,  1574, 
he  was  suddenly  carried  off  by  a  fever,  at  the  age  of  fifty -iivo. 
It  is  a  singular  coincidence  that  De  Gourgues,  five  years 
afterwards,  was  carried  oif  in  a  similar  manner,  just  after 
his  appointment  as  admiral  of  the  French  fleet.  A  splendid 
monument  in  the  church  of  San  Nicolas,  at  Aviles,  Avas 
erected  to  the  memory  of  Menendez,  with  the  following  in- 
scription : 

"Here  lies  buried  the  illustrious  Cavalier,  Pedro 
Menendez  de  Aviles,  a  native  of  this  city,  Adelantado 
OF  THE  Provinces  of  Florida,  Knight  Commander  of  Santa 
Cruz  of  the  order  of  Santiago,  and  Captain  General  of 
THE  Oceanic  Seas  and  of  the  Armada  which  his  Royal 
Highness  collected  at  Santander  in  the  year  1574,  where 
HE  died  on  the  17th  of  September  of  that  year,  in  the 
55Tn  year  of  his  age." 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  65 


CHAPTER    XI. 

SIR    FRANCIS    DRAKES    ATTACK    UPON    ST.    AUGUSTINE- 
ESTABLISHMENT  OF  MISSIONS— MASSACRE  OF  MISSION- 
ARIES AT  ST.  AUGUSTINE— 158G-1G38. 

NiXE  years  had  elapsed  from  tlie  deatli  of  Menendez,  and 
the  colouy  at  St.  Augustine  had  slowly  progressed  into  the 
settlement  of  a  small  town  ;  but  the  eclat  and  importance 
which  the  presence  of  Menendez  had  given  it,  were  much 
lessened ;  when,  in  1586,  Sir  Francis  Drake,  with  a  fleet  re- 
turning from  South  America,  discovered  the  Spanish  look- 
out upon  Anastasia  Island,  and  sent  boats  ashore  to  ascer- 
tain something  in  reference  to  it.  Marching  up  the  shore, 
they  discovered  across  the  bay,  a  fort,  and  further  up  a 
town  built  of  wood. 

Proceeding  towards  the  fort,  which  bore  the  name  of  San 
Juan  de  Pinas,  some  guns  were  fired  upon  them  from  it, 
and  they  retired  towards  their  vessel;  the  same  evening  a 
fifer  made  his  appearance,  and  informed  them  that  he  was 
a  Frenchman,  detained  a  prisoner  there,  and  that  the 
Spaniards  had  abandoned  their  fort;  and  he  offered  to 
conduct  them  over.  Upon  this  information  they  crossed 
the  river  and  found  the  fort  abandoned  as  the}^  had  been 
informed,  and  took  possession  of  it  without  opposition.  It 
was  built  entirely  of  wood,  and  only  surrounded  by  a  wall 
or  pale  formed  of  the  bodies  or  trunks  of  large  trees,  set  up- 
right in  the  earth;  for,  says  the  narrative,  it  was  not  at  that 
time  inclosed  by  a  ditch,  as  ithad  been  but  lately  begun  by  the 
Spaniards.  The  platforms  were  made  of  the  bodies  of 
large  pine  trees  (of  which  there  are  plent}^  here),  laid  hor- 
izontall}^  across  each  other,  with  earth  rammed  in  to  fill  up 
the  vacancies.  Fourteen  brass  cannon  were  found  in  the 
fort,  and  there  was  left  behind  the  treasure  chest,  con- 
taining £2,000  sterling,  designed  for  the  payment  of  the 
garrison,  which  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men. 
Whether  the  massive,  iron-bound  mahogany  chest,*  still 
preserved  in  the  old  fort  is  the  same  which  fell  into  the 

*  This  old  chest,  whicli  remained  in  one  of  the  western  vaults  of  the 
fort,  up  to  the  late  war,  was  broken  up  for  relics,  and  is  no  longer  there. 

5 


66  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

hands  of  Drake,  is  a  question  for  antiquaries  to  decide;  its 
ancient  appearance  might  well  justify  the  supposition. 

On  the  following  day,  Drake's  forces  marched  towards  the 
town,  but  owing,  it  is  said,  to  heavy  rains,  were  obliged  to 
return  and  go  in  the  boats.  On  their  approach,  the  Span- 
iards fled  into  the  country.  It  is  said,  in  Barcia,  that  a 
Spaniard  concealed  in  the  bushes,  fired  at  the  sergeant  ma- 
jor and  wounded  him,  and  then  ran  up  and  dispatched  him, 
and  that  in  revenge  for  this  act,  Drake  burnt  their  buildings 
and  destroyed  their  gardens.  The  garrison  and  inhabitants 
retired  to  fort  San  Alatteo,  on  the  St.  Johns  river.  Barcia 
says  that  the  population  of  the  place  was  then  increasing 
considerably,  and  that  it  possessed  a  hall  of  justice,  parochial 
church,  and  other  buildings,  together  with  gardens  in  the 
rear  of  the  town. 

An  engraved  plan  or  view  of  Drake's  descent  upon  St- 
Augustine,  published  after  his  return  to  England,  represents 
an  octagonal  fort  between  two  streams ;  at  the  distance  of 
half  a  mile  another  stream;  beyond  that  the  town,  with  a 
look-out  and  two  religious  houses,  one  of  which  is  a  church, 
and  the  other  probably  the  house  of  the  Franciscans,  wiio 
had  shortly  before  established  a  house  of  their  order  there. 
The  town  contains  three  squares  lengthwise,  and  four  in 
width,  with  gardens  on  the  west  side. 

Some  doubt  has  been  thrown  on  the  actual  site  of  the 
first  settlement,  by  this  account ;  but  I  think  it  probably 
stood  considerably  to  the  south  of  the  present  public  square, 
between  the  barracks  and  the  powder-house.  Perhaps  the 
Maria  Sanchez  creek  may  have  then  communicated  with  the 
bay  near  its  present  head,  in  wet  weather  and  at  high  tides 
isolating  the  fort  from  the  town.  The  present  north  ditch 
niay  have  been  the  bed  of  a  tide  creek,  and  thus  would  cor- 
respond to  the  appearance  presented  by  the  sketch.  It  is 
well  known  that  the  north  end  of  the  city  was  built  at  a 
much  later  period  than  the  southern,  antl  that  the  now  va- 
cant space  below  the  barracks,  was  once  occupied  with 
buildings.  Buildings  and  fields  are  shown  upon  Anastasia 
Island, "opposite  the  town.  The  relative  position  of  the 
town  with  reference  to  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  is  cor- 
rectly shown  on  the  plan  ;  and  there  seems  no  sufiicient 
ground  to  doubt  the  identity  of  the  present  town  with  the 
ancient  locality. 

The  garrison  and  country  were  then  under  the  command 
of  Don  Pedro  Menendez,  a  nephew  of  the  Adelantado,  who, 
after  the  English  squadron  sailed,  having  received  assistance 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  67 


from  Havana,  began,  it  is  said,  to  rebuild  the  city,  and 
made  great  efforts  to  increase  its  population,  and  to  induce 
the  Indians  to  settle  in  its  neighborhood. 

In  1592,  twelve  Franciscan  missionaries  arrived  at  St.  Au- 
gustine, with  their  Superior,  Fray  Jean  de  Silva,  and  placed 
themselves  under  the  charge  of  Father  Francis  ]SIanon, 
Warden  of  the  convent  of  St.  Helena.  One  of  them,  a  Mexi- 
can, Farther  Francis  Panja,  drew  up  in  the  language  of  the 
Yemasees  his  "Abridgment  of  Chiistian  Doctrine,"  said  to 
be  the  first  work  compiled  in  any  of  our  Indian  languages. 

The  Franciscan  Father  Corpa  established  a  Mission 
house  for  the  Indians  at  Talomato,  in  the  northwest  portion 
of  the  city  of  St.  Augustine,  where  there  was  than  an  Indian 
village.  Father  Bias  de  Rodriguez,  also  called  Montes,  had 
an  Indian  Church  at  a  village  of  the  Indians,  called  Tapoqui, 
situated  on  the  creek  called  Cano  de  la  Leche,  north  of  the 
fort;  and  the  church  bearing  the  name  of  "  Our  Lady  of  the 
Milk"  was  situated  on  the  elevated  ground  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  north  of  the  fort,  near  the  creek.  A  stone  church 
existed  at  this  locality  as  late  as  1795,  and  the  crucifix  be- 
longing to  it  is  preserved  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  at 
St.  Augustine. 

These  missions  proceeded  with  considerable  apparent  suc- 
cess, large  numbers  of  the  Indians  being  received  and  in- 
structed both  at  this  and  other  missions. 

Among  the  converts  at  the  mission  of  Talomato,  was  the 
son  of  the  cacique  of  the  province  of  Guale,  a  proud  and 
high-spirited  young  leader,  who  by  no  means  submitted  to 
the  requirements  of  his  spiritual  fathers,  but  indulged  in. 
excesses  which  scandalized  his  profession.  Father  Corpa, 
after  trying  private  remonstrances  and  warnings  in  vain, 
thought  it  necessary  to  administer  to  him  a  public  rebuke. 
This  aroused  the  pride  of  the  young  chief,  and  he  suddenly 
left  the  mission,  determined  upon  revenge.  He  gathered 
from  the  interior  a  band  of  warriors,  whom  he  inspired  with 
his  own  hatred  aghinst  the  missionaries.  Returning  to 
Talomato  with  his  followers  under  the  cover  of  night,  he 
crept  up  to  the  mission  house,  burst  open  the  chapel  doors, 
and  slew  the  devoted  Father  Corpa  while  at  prayer ;  then 
severed  his  head  from  his  body,  set  it  upon  a  pikestaff,  and 
threw  his  body  out  into  the  forest  where  it  could  never  after- 
wards be  found.  The  scene  of  this  tragedy  was  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  present  Roman  Catholic  cemetery  of 
St.  Augustine. 

As  soon  as  this  occurence  became  known  in  the  Indian. 


68  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 

village,  all  was  excitement;  some  of  the  most  devoted  be- 
wailing the  death  of  their  spiritual  father,  while  others 
dreaded  the  consequences  of  so  rash  an  act,  and  shrunk  with 
terror  from  the  vengeance  of  the  Spaniards,  which  thej  fore- 
saw would  soon  follow.  The  vouno;  chief  of  Guale  «:ather- 
ed  them  around  him,  and  in  earnest  tones  addressed  them. 
"  Yes,"  said  he,  "  the  friar  is  dead.  It  would  not  have  been 
done,  if  he  would  have  allowed  us  to  live  as  we  did  before 
we  became  Christians.  AVe  desire  to  return  to  our  ancient 
customs;  and  we  must  provide  for  our  defense  against  the 
punishment  which  will  be  hurled  upon  us  by  the  Governor 
of  Florida,  which,  if  it  be  allowed  to  reach  us,  will  be  as 
rigorous  for  this  single  frair,  as  if  we  had  killed  them  all. — 
For  the  same  power  which  we  possess  to  destroy  this  one 
priest,  we  have  to  destroy  them  all." 

His  followers  approved  of  what  had  been  done,  and  said 
there  was  no  doubt  but  what  the  same  vengeance  would  fall 
upon  them  for  the  death  of  the  one,  as  for  all. 

He  then  resumed.  "  Since  we  shall  receive  equal  punish- 
ment for  the  death  of  this  one,  as  though  we  had  killed 
them  all,  let  us  regain  the  liberty  of  which  these  friars  have 
robbed  us,  with  their  promises  of  good  things  which  we 
have  not  yet  seen,  but  which  they  seek  to  keep  us  in  hope 
of,  while  they  accumulate  upon  us  who  are  called  Christians, 
injuries  and  disgusts,  making  us  quit  our  wives,  restricting 
us  to  one  only,  and  prohibiting  us  from  changing  her. — 
They  prevent  us  from  having  our  balls,  banquets,  feasts, 
celebrations,  games  and  contests,  so  that  being  deprived  of 
them,  we  lose  our  ancient  valor  and  skill  which  we  inher- 
ited from  our  ancestors.  Although  they  o})press  us  with 
labor,  refusing  to  grant  even  the  respite  of  a  few  days,  and 
although  we  are  disposed  to  do  all  they  require  from  us, 
they  are  not  satisfied  ;  but  for  everything  they  reprimand  us, 
injuriously  treat  us,  oppress  us,  lecture  us,  call  us  bad 
Christians,  and  deprive  us  of  all  the  pleasures  which  our 
fathers  enjoyed,  in  the  hope  that  they  would  give  us  heaven  ; 
by  these  frauds  subjecting  us  and  holding  us  under  their  ab- 
solute control.  And  what  have  we  to  liope  except  to  be 
made  slaves '?  If  we  now  put  them  all  to  death,  we  shall 
destroy  these  excrescenses,  and  force  the  governor  to  treat 
us  well." 

The  majority  were  carried  away  by  his  address,  and  rung 
out  the  war-cry  of  death  ai>d  defiance.  While  still  eacer 
for  blood,  their  chief  led  them  to  the  Indian  town  of  Tapo- 
qui,  the  mission  of  Father  Montes,  on  the  Cano  de  laLeche  ; 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  69 


tuniultuously  riisliing  in,  they  infonucd  the  missionary  of 
the  fate  of  Father  Corpa,  and  that  they  sought  his  own  life 
and  those  of  all  his  order ;  and  then  with  uplifted  weapons 
bade  hini  prepare  to  die.  lie  reasoned  and  remonstrated 
with  them,  portraying  the  folly  and  wickedness  of  their  in- 
tentions, that  the  vengeance  of  the  Spaniards  would  surely 
overtake  them,  and  implored  them  with  tears,  that  for  their 
own  sakes  rather  than  his,  they  would  pause  in  their  mad 
designs.  But  all  in  vain  ;  they  were  alike  insensible  to  his 
eloquence,  and  his  tears,  and  pressed  forward  to  surround 
him.  Finding  all  else  vain,  he  begged  as  a  last  favor  that 
lie  should  be  permitted  to  celebrate  mass  before  he  died. 
In  this  he  was  probably  actuated  in  part  by  the  hope  that 
their  fierce  hatred  might  be  assuaged  by  the  sight  of  the 
ceremonies  of  their  faith,  or  that  the  delay  might  afford 
time  for  succor  from  the  adjoining  garrison. 

The  permission  was  given  ;  and  there  for  the  last  time  the 
worthy  Father  put  on  his  robes,  which  might  well  be  term- 
ed liis  robes  of  sacrifice.  The  wild  and  savage  crowd, 
thirsting  for  his  blood,  reclined  upon  the  floor  and  looked 
on  in  sullen  silence,  awaiting  the  conclusion  of  the  rites. 
The  priest  alone,  standing  before  the  altar,  proceeded  with 
this  most  sad  and  solemn  mass,  then  cast  his  eyes  to  heaven 
and  knelt  in  private  supplication;  where  the  next  moment 
he  fell  under  the  blows  of  his  cruel  foes,  bespattering  the 
altar  at  which  he  ministered,  with  his  own  life's  blood.  His 
crushed  remains  were  thrown  into  the  fields,  that  they  might 
serve  for  the  fowls'  of  the  air  or  the  beasts  of  the  forest ; 
but  not  one  would  approach  it,  except  a  dog,  which,  rushing 
forward  to  lay  hold  upon  the  body,  fell  dead  upon  the  spot, 
says  the  ancient  chronicle ;  and  an  old  Christian  Indian, 
recognizing  it,  gave  it  sepulture  in  the  forest. 

From  thence  the  ferocious  young  chief  of  Guale  led  his 
followers  against  several  missions,  in  other  parts  of  the 
country,  which  he  attacked  and  destroyed,  together  with 
their  attendant  clergy.  Thus  upon  the  soil  of  the  ancient 
city  was  shed  the  blood  of  Christian  martyrs,  who  were 
laboring  with  a  zeal  well  worthy  of  emulation,  to  carry  the 
truths  of  relis-ion  to  the  native  tribes  of  Elorida.     Twohun- 

CD 

dred  and  sixty  years  have  passed  away  since  these  sad  scenes 
were  enacted ;  but  we  cannot  even  now  repress  a  tear  of 
sympathy  and  a  feeling  of  admiration  for  those  self-denying 
missionaries  of  the  cross,  who  sealed  their  faith  with  their 
blood,  and  fell  victims  to  their  energy  and  devotion.  The 
spectacle  of  the  dying  priest  struck  down  at  the  altar,  at- 


70  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 

tired  in  his  sacred  vestments,  and  perhaps  imploring  pardon 
upon  his  murderers,  cannot  fail  to  call  up  in  the  heart  of  the 
most  insensible,  something  more  than  a  passing  emotion. 

The  zeal  of  the  Franciscans  was  only  increased  by  this 
disaster,  and  each  succeeding  vear  brought  additions  to  their 
number.  They  pushed  their  missions  into  the  interior  of 
the  country  so  rapidly  that  in  less  than  two  years  they  had 
established  through  the  principal  towns  of  the  Indians  no 
less  than  twenty  mission  houses.  The  presumed  remains 
of  these  establishments  are  still  occasionally  to  be  found 
throughout  the  interior  of  the  country. 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,  FLORIDA.  71 


CHAPTER    XII. 

SUBJECTION   OF    THE   APALACHIAN   INDIANS— CONSTKUC- 
.  TION  OF  THE  FORT,  SEA  WALL,  &c.— 1638— 1700. 

In  tlie  year  1638,  hostilities  were  entered  into  between  the 
Spanish  settlements  on  the  coast,  and  the  Apalachian  Indi- 
ans, who  occupied  the  country  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
river  Suwanee.  The  Spaniards  soon  succeeded  in  subduing 
their  Indian  foes;  and  in  1640,  large  numbers  of  the  Apala- 
chian Indians  were  brought  to  St.  Augustine,  and  in  alleged 
punishment  for  their  outbreak,  and  with  a  sagacious  eye  to 
the  convenience  of  the  arrangement,  were  forced  to  labor 
upon  the  public  works  and  fortifications  of  the  city.  At 
this  period  the  English  settlements  along  the  coast  to  the 
northward,  had  begun  to  be  formed,  much  to  the  uneasi- 
ness and  displeasure  of  the  Spanish  crown,  which  for  a  long 
period  claimed,  by  virtue  of  exploration  and  occupation,  as 
w^ell  as  by  the  ancient  papal  grant  of  Alexander,  all  the 
eastern  coast  of  the  United  States.  Their  missionaries  had 
penetrated  Virginia  before  the  settlement  at  Jamestown  ; 
and  they  had  built  a  fort  in  South  Carolina,  and  kept  up  a 
garrison  for  some  years  in  it.  But  the  Spanish  government 
had  become  too  feeble  to  compete  with  either  the  English 
or  the  French  on  the  seas  ;  and  with  the  loss  of  their  cele- 
brated Armada,  perished  forever  their  pretensions  as  a 
naval  power.  They  were  therefore  forced  to  look  to  the 
safety  of  their  already  established  settlements  in  Florida ; 
and  the  easy  capture  of  the  fort  at  St.  Augustine  by  the 
passing  squadron  of  Drake,  evinced  the  necessity  of  works 
of  a  much  more  formidable  character. 

It  is  evident  that  the  fort,  or  castle  as  it  was  usually 
designated,  had  been  then  commenced,  although  its  form 
was  afterwards  changed;  and  for  sixty  years  subsequently, 
these  unfortunate  Apalachian  Indians  were  compelled  to 
labor  upon  the  works,  until  in  1680,  upon  the  recommenda- 
tion of  their  mission  Fathers,  they  were  relieved  from  fur- 
ther compulsory  labor,  with  the  understanding  that  in  case 
of  necessity  they  would  resume  their  labors. 

In  1648,   St.   Augustine  is  described   to  have  contained 


72  THE    HISTORY   AND   ANTIQUITIES 

more  than  three  hundred  householders  {vecinos),  a  flourish- 
ing monastry  of  the  order  of  St.  Francis  with  fifty  Francis 
cans,  men  very  zealous  for  the  conversion  of  the  Indians, 
and  reo-arded  hy  their  countrvnien  with  the  hiijhest  venera- 
tion.  Besides  these  there  were  in  the  city  alone,  a  vicar,  a 
parochial  curate,  a  superior  sacristan,  and  a  chaplain  at- 
tached to  the  castle.  The  parish  church  was  built  of  wood, 
the  Bishop  of  Cuba,  it  is  said,  not  being  able  to  afford  an}'- 
thing  better,  his  whole  income  being  but  four  hundred  pezos 
per  annum,  which  he  shared  with  Florida;  and  sometimes 
he  expended  much  more  than  his  receipts. 

In  1665,  Captain  Davis,  one  of  the  English  buccaneers 
and  freebooters  (then  very  numerous  in  the  West  Indies), 
with  a  fleet  of  seven  or  eight  vessels  came  on  the  coast 
from  Jamaica,  to  intercept  the  Spanish  plate  fleet  on  its  return 
from  New  Spain  to  Europe ;  but  being  disappointed  in  this 
scheme,  he  proceded  along  the  coast  of  Florida,  and  came  ofi 
St.  Augustine,  where  he  landed  and  marched  directly  upon 
the  town,  which  he  sacked  and  phmdered,  without  meeting 
the  least  opposition  or  resistance  from  the  Spaniards, 
althou2:h  thev  had  then  a  srarrison  of  two  hundred  men 
in  the  fort,  winch  at  tliat  time  was  an  octagon,  fortified  and 
defended  b}'  round  towers. 

The  fortifications,  if  this  account  be  true,  were  probably 
then  very  incomplete  ;  and  with  a  vastly  inferior  force  it  is 
not  surprising  that  they  did  not  undertake  what  could  only 
have  been  an  ineftectual  resistance.  It  does  not  appear  that 
the  fort  was  taken ;  and  the  inhabitants  retired  probably 
within  its  enclosure  with  their  valuables.* 

In  the  Spanish  account  of  the  various  occurrences  in  this 
country,  it  is  mentioned  that  in  1G81,  "the  English  having 
examined  a  province  of  Florida,  distant  twelve  leagues  from 
another  called  New  Castle,  where  the  air  is  pleasant,  the 
climate  mild,  and  the  lands  very  fertile,  called  it  Salvania; 
and  that  knowing  these  advantages,  a  Quaker,  or  Shaker  (a 
sect  barbarous  impudent,  and  abominable),  called  William 
Penn,  obtained  a  grant  of  it  from  Charles  IL,  King  of  Eng- 
land, and  made  great  eflbrts  to  colonize  it."  Such  was  the 
extent  then  claimed  for  the  province  of  Florida,  and  such 
the  opinion  entertained  of  the  Quakers. 

In  1681,  Don  Juan  Marquez  Cabrera,  applied  himself  at 
once,  upon  his  appointment  to  the  governorship  of  Florida, 
to  finishing  the  castle;  and   collected   large   quantities  of 

*I  do  not  find  any  account  of  this  expedition  and  capture  of  St.  Augus- 
tine in  the  Ensayo  Cronologica 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  7B 

stone,  lime,  timber,  and  iron,  more  than  sufficient  subse- 
quently to  complete  it.  About  this  period,  a  new  impulse 
was  o'ivon  to  the  extension  of  the  missions  for  converting 
the  Indians;  and  larii-e  reinforcements  of  the  clerical  force 
were  received  from  Mexico,  Havana,  and  Spain  ;  and  many 
of  them  received  salaries  from  the  crown.  A  considerable 
Indian  town  is  spoken  of  at  this  period,  as  existing  six  hun- 
dred varas  north  of  St.  Augustine,  and  called  Macarasi, 
which  would  correspond  to  the  place  formerly  occupied  by 
Judge  Douglas,  deceased,  and  which  has  long  been  called 
Macariz.  Other  parts  of  the  country  were  known  by  vari- 
ous names.  Amelia  Island  was  the  province  of  Quale. 
The  southern  part  of  the  country  was  known  as  the 
province  of  Carlos.  Indian  river  was  the  province  of  Ys. 
Westwardly  was  the  province  of  Apalachie;  while  smaller 
divisions  were  designated  by  the  names  of  the  chiefs. 

It  is  hardly  to  be  doubted,  that  the  same  spirit  of  oppres- 
sion towards  the  Indians,  exercised  in  the  other  colonies 
under  Spanish  dominition,  existed  in  Florida.  It  has 
been  already  mentioned  that  the  Apalachians  were  kept  at 
labor  upon  the  fortifications  of  St.  Augustine  ;  and  in  1680, 
the  Yemasees,  who  had  always  been  particularly  peaceful 
and  manageable,  and  whose  principal  town  was  Macarisqui, 
near  St.  Augustine,  revolted  at  the  rule  exercised  over  them 
by  the  Spanish  authorities  at  St.  Augustine,  in  consequence 
of  the  execution  of  one  of  their  chiefs  by  the  order  of  the 
governor;  and  six  years  afterwards  they  made  a  general 
attack  upon  the  Spaniards,  drove  them  within  the  walls  of 
the  castle,  and  became  such  mortal  enemies  'to  them,  that 
they  never  gave  a  Spaniard  quarter,  waylaying,  and  invaria- 
bly massacring,  any  stragglers  the}'-  could  intercept  outside 
of  the  fort. 

In  1670,  an  English  settlement  was  established  near  Port 
Royal,  South  Carolina,  one  hundred  and  five  years  subse- 
quent to  the  settlement  of  St.  Augustine.  The  Spaniards 
regarded  it  as  an  infringement  upon  their  rights  ;  and  al- 
though a  treaty,  after  this  settlement,  had  been  made  be- 
tween Spain  and  England,  confirming  to  the  latter  all  her 
settlements  and  islands,  yet  as  no  boundaries  or  limits  were 
mentioned,  their  respective  rights  and  boundaries  remained 
a  subject  of  dispute  for  seventy  years. 

About  1675,  the  Spanish  authorities  at  St.  Augustine, 
having  intelligence  from  whiie  servants  who  fled  to  them,  of 
the  discontented  and  miserable  situation  of  the  colony  in 
Carolina,  advanced  with  a  party  under   arms  as  far  as  the 


74  THE    HISTORY   AND   ANTIQUITIES 

Island  of  St.  Helena,  to  dislodge  or  destroy  the  settlers.  A 
treacherous  colonist  of  the  name  of  Fitzpatrick,  deserted 
to  the  Spaniards;  but  the  governor,  Sir  John  Yeamans, 
having  received  a  reinforcement,  held  his  ground ;  and  a 
detachment  of  fifty  volunteers  under  Colonel  Godfrey, 
marched  against  the  enemy,  forcing  them  to  retire  from  the 
Island  of  St.  Helena,  and  retreat  to  St.  Augustine.* 

Ten  years  afterv^^ards,  three  galleys  sailed  from  St.  Augus- 
tine, and  attacked  a  Scotch  and  English  settlement  at  Port 
Royal,  which  had  been  founded  by  Lord  Cardross,  in  1681. 
The  settlement  was  weak  and  unprotected,  and  the  Span- 
iards fell  upon  them,  killed  several,  whipped  many,  plundered 
all,  and  broke  up  the  colony.  Flushed  with  success,  they 
continued  their  depredations  on  Edisto  River,  burning  the 
houses,  wasting  the  plantations,  and  robbiiig  the  settlers  ; 
and  finished  their  marauding  expedition  by  capturing  the 
brother  of  Governor  Morton,  and  burning  him  alive  in  one 
of  the  galleys  which  a  hurricane  had  driven  so  high  upon 
land  as  to  make  it  impossible  to  have  it  re-launched.  Sucli 
at  least  is  the  English  account  of  the  matter  ;  and  they  say 
that  intestine  troubles  alone  prevented  immediate  and  sig- 
nal retaliation  by  the  SoQth  Carolinians. f 

One  Captain  Don  Juan  de  Aila  went  to  Spain  in  the 
year  1687,  in  his  own  vessel,  to  procure  additional  forces 
and  ammunition  for  the  garrison  at  St.  Augustine.  He  re- 
ceived the  men  and  munitions  desired;  and  as  a  reward  for 
his  diligence  and  patriotism,  he  also  received  the  privilege 
of  carrying  merchandise,  duty  free ;  being  also  allowed  to 
take  twelve  Spanish  negroes  for  the  cultivation  of  the  fields 
of  Florida,  of  whom  it  is  said  there  was  a  great  want  in 
that  province.  By  a  mischance,  he  was  only  able  to  carry 
one  negro  there,  with  the  troops  and  other  cargo,  and  was 
received  in  the  city  with  universal  J03-.  This  was  the  first 
occasion  of  the  reception  of  African  slaves ;  although  as 
has  been  heretofore  mentioned,  it  was  nuide  a  part  of  the 
royal  stipulation  with  Menendez,  that  he  should  bring  over 
five  hundred  negro  slaves. 

Don  Diego  de  Quiroga  y  Losada,  the  governor  of  Florida 
in  1690,  findino;  that  the  sea  was  makinii;  dano-erous  en- 
croachments  upon  the  shores  of  the  town,  and  had  reached 
even  the  houses,  threatening  to  swallow  them  up,  and  ren 

*  Carroll's  S.  C,  Vol.  1,  p.  62. 
t  Elvers'  S.  C.  Hist.  Coll.  p.  143.     Do.  Appendix,  425.    Carroll's  Coll., 
2d  vol.,  350. 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  75 

der  useless  the  fort  Avliieli  had  cost  so  much  to  put  in  the 
state  of  completion  in  whicli  it  then  was,  called  a  public 
meeting  of  the  chief  men  and  citizens  of  the  place,  and  pro- 
posed to  them  that  in  order  to  escape  the  danger  which 
menaced  them,  and  to  restrain  the  fcrce  of  the  sea,  they 
should  construct  a  wall,  which  should  run  from  the  castle 
and  cover  and  protect  the  city  from  all  danger  of  the  sea. 
The  inhabitants  not  only  approved  of  his  proposal,  but 
began  the  work  with  so  much  zeal,  that  the  soldiers  gave 
more  than  seventeen  hundred  dollars  of  their  wages,  al- 
though they  were  very  much  behind,  not  having  been  paid 
in  six  years ;  with  which  the  governor  began  to  make  the 
necessary  preparations,  and  sent  forward  a  dispatch  to  the 
home  government  upon  the  subject. 

The  council  of  war  of  the  Indies  approved,  in  the  follow- 
ing year,  of  the  work  of  the  sea  wall,  and  directed  the 
viceroy  of  IN'ew  Spain  to  furnish  ten  thousand  dollars  for  it, 
and  directed  that  a  plan  and  estimate  of  the  work  should 
be  forwarded.  Quiroga  was  succeeded  in  the  governorship  of 
Florida,  by  Don  Laureano  de  Torres,  who  went  forward  with 
the  work  of  the  sea  wall,  and  received  for  this  purpose  the 
means  furnished  by  the  soldiers,  and  one  thousand  dollars 
more,  which  they  offered  besides  the  two  thousand  dollars, 
and  likewise  six  thousand  dollars  which  had  come  from 
Xew  Spain,  remitted  by  the  viceroy.  Count  de  Galleo,  for 
the  purpose  of  building  a  tower,  as  a  look-out  to  observe  the 
surro'undino;  Indian  settlements.  Whether  this  tower  was 
erected,  or  where,  we  have  no  certain  knowledge.  The 
towers  erected  on  the  governor's  palace  and  at  the  northeast 
ansrle  of  the  fort,  were  intended  as  look-outs  both  sea  and 
landward. 

The  statements  made  in  reference  to  the  building  of  this 
wall,  from  the  castle  as  far  as  the  city,  confirm  the  opinion 
previously  expressed,  that  the  ancient  and  early  settlement 
of  the  place  was  south  of  the  public  square,  as  the  remains 
of  the  ancient  sea  wall  extend  to  the  basin  at  the  Plaza. 
The  top  of  this  old  sea  wall  is  still  visible  along  the  centre 
of  Bay  street,  where  it  occasionally  appears  above  the  level 
of  the  street ;  and  its  general  plan  and  arrangement  are 
shown  on  several  old  maps  and  plans  of  the  city.  Upon  a 
plan  of  the  city  made  in  1665,  it  is  represented  as  terminat- 
ing in  a  species  of  break-water  at  the  public  square.  It  is 
unnesessary  to  add  that  the  present  sea  wall  is  a  much  su- 
perior structure  to  the  old,  and  extends  above   twice  the 


76  THE    HISTORY    AND   ANTIQUITIES 

distance.     Its  cost  is  said  to  have  been  one  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  it  was  building  from  1837  to  1843. 

In  the  year  1700,  the  work  on  the  sea  wall  had  progressed 
but  slowly,  although  the  governor  had  employed  thirty 
stone-cutters  at  a  time,  and  had  eio-ht  voke  of  oxen  drawing 
stone  to  the  landing,  and  two  lime-kilns  all  the  while  at 
work.  But  the  money  previously  provided,  and  considera- 
ble additional  funds  was  requisite,  resembling  in  this  respect 
its  successor.  The  new  governor,  De  Cuniga,  took  the 
matter  in  hand,  as  he  had  much  experience  in  fortifications. 
The  defenses  of  the  fort  are  spoken  of  as  being  at  the  time 
too  weak  to  resist  artillery,  and  the  sea  wall  as  being  but  a 
slight  work. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  /  / 


CHAPTER     XIII. 

ATTACK   ON    ST.    AUGUSTINE    BY     GOVERNOR     MOORE     OF     SOUTH 

CAROLINA DIFFICULTIES    WITH    THE    GEORGIANS. 

1702—1732. 

Hostilities  had  broken  out  between  England  and  Spain 
in  1702.  The  English  settlements  in  Carolina  only  num- 
bered six  or  seven  thousand  inhabitants,  when  Governor 
Moore,  who  was  an  ambitions  and  energetic  man,  but  with 
serious  defects  of  character,  led  an  invading  force  from  Car- 
olina against  St.  Augustine.  The  pretense  was  to  retaliate 
for  old  injimes,  and,  bj  taking  the  initiative,  to  prevent  an 
attack  upon  themselves.  The  real  motive  was  said  b}^  Gov. 
Moore's  opponents  at  home,  to  have  been  the  acquisition  of 
militar}'  reputation  and  private  gain. 

The  plan  of  tlie  expedition  embraced  a  combined  land 
and  naval  attack  :  and  for  this  purpose  six  hundred  provin- 
cial militia  were  embodied,  with  an  equal  number  of  Indian 
allies  ;  a  portion  of  the  militia,  with  the  Indians,  were  to  go 
inland  by  boats  and  bv  land,  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Daniel,  who  is  spoken  of  as  a  good  officer,  while  the  mam 
bod}"  proceeded  with  thegovenor  by  sea  in  several  merchant 
schooners  and  ships  which  had  been  impressed  for  the  service. 

The  Spaniards,  who  had  received  intimations  of  the  con- 
templated attack,  placed  themselves  in  the  best  posture  of  de- 
fense in  their  power,  and  laid  up  provisions  in  the  castle  to 
withstand  a  Ions;  sieo;e. 

The  forces  under  Col.  Daniel  arrived  in  advance  of  the 
naval  iieet  of  the  expedition,  and  immediately  marched  upon 
the  town.  Theinha])itants,  upon  his  approach,  retired  with 
their  most  valuable  effects  within  the  spacious  walls  of  the 
castle,  and  Col.  Daniel  entered  and  took  possession  of  the 
town,  the  larger  part  of  which,  it  must  be  recollected,  was 
at  some  distance  from  the  castle. 

The  quaint  description  of  these  events,  given  by  Oldmixon, 
is  as  follows  : — 

"  Col.  Rob.  Daniel,  a  very  brave  man,  commanded  a  party 
who  were  to  go  up  the  river  in  periagas,  and  come  npon 


78  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

Augustino  on  the  land  side,  while  the  Governour  sailed 
thither,  and  attacked  it  by  sea.  They  both  set  out  in  Au- 
gust, 1702.  Col.  Daniel,  in  his  way,  took  St.  Johns,  a  small 
Spanish  settlement ;  as  also  St.  Mary's,  another  little  village 
belonging  to  the  Spaniards ;  after  which  he  proceeded  to 
Augustino,  came  before  the  town,  entered  and  took  it,  Col. 
Moor  not  being  yet  arrived  with  the  fleet. 

"  The  inhabitants  having  notice  of  the  approach  of  the 
English,  had  packed  up  their  best  efl:ects  and  retired  with 
them  into  the  castle,  which  was  surrounded  by  a  very  deep 
and  broad  moat. 

"  They  had  laid  up  provisions  there  for  four  months,  and 
resolved  to  defend  themselves  to  the  last  extremity.  How- 
ever, Col.  Daniel  found  a  considerable  booty  in  the  town. 
The  next  day  the  Governour  came  ashore,  and  his  troops 
following  him,  they  entrenched,  posted  their  guards  in  the 
church,  and  blocked  up  the  castle.  The  English  held  pos- 
session of  the  town  a  whole  month  ;  but  finding  thev  could 
do  nothing  for  want  of  mortars  and  bombs,  theyxlespatched 
away  a  sloop  for  Jamaica  ;  but  the  commander  of  the  sloop, 
instead  of  going  thither,  came  to  Carolina  out  of  fear  of 
treachery.  Finding  others  offered  to  go  in  his  stead,  he 
proceeded  in  the  voyage  himself,  after  he  had  lain  some  time 
at  Charlestown. 

"  The  Governour  all  this  while  lay  before  the  castle  of 
Augustino,  in  expectation  of  the  return  of  the  sloop,  which 
hearing  nothing  of,  he  sent  Col.  Daniel,  who  was  the  life  of 
the  action,  to  Jamaica  on  the  same  errand. 

"  This  gentleman,  being  hearty  in  the  design,  procured  a 
supply  of  bombs,  and  returned  towards  Augustino.  13utin 
the  mean  time  two  ships  appeared  in  the  offing,  which  being 
taken  to  be  two  very  large  men  of  war,  the  Governour  tho't 
fit  to  raise  the  siege  and  abandon  his  ships,  with  a  great 
quantity  of  stores,  ammunition,  and  provisions,  to  the  en- 
emy. Upon  which  the  two  men  of  war  entered  the  port  of 
Augustino,  and  took  the  Governour's  ships.  Some  say  he 
burnt  them  himself.  Certain  it  is  thev  were  lost  to  the  Eng- 
lish,  and  that  he  returned  to  Charles-Town  over  land  300 
miles  from  Augustino.  The  two  men  of  war  that  were 
thought  to  be  so  large,  proved  to  be  two  small  frigates,  one 
of  82,  and  the  other  of  16  guns.* 

*  There  must  be  an  error,  of  course,  in  this  statement  of  an  82-gun  ship 
entering  St.  Augustine,  as  the  depth  of  water  would  never  admit  a  vessel 
of  over  300  tons  :  probably  82  should  read  12  tons.  a.  r.  f. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  79 


"  When  Col.  Daniel  came  back  to  St.  Aiignstino,  he  was 
chased,  but  got  away  ;  and  Col.  Moor  retreated  with  no 
great  honor  homewards.  The  |»erhigas  lay  at  St.  Johns, 
whither  the  Governour  retired  and  so  to  Charles-Town,  hav- 
ing lost  but  two  men  in  the  whole  expedition." 

Arratomakaw,  king  of  the  Yamioseans,  who  commanded 
the  Indians,  retreated  to  the  periagas  with  the  rest,  and  there 
slept  upon  his  oars  with  a  great  deal  of  bravery  and  uncon- 
cern. The  governor's  soldiers,  taking  a  false  alarm,  and 
thinking  the  Spaniards  were  coming,  did  not  like  this  slow 
pace  of  the  Indian  king  in  his  flight,  and  to  quicken  him  into 
it,  bade  him  make  more  haste.  But  he  replied,  "  ISTo ; 
though  your  governor  leaves  you,  I  will  not  stir  till  I  have 
seen  till  my  men  before  me." 

The  Spanish  accounts  say  that  he  burned  the  town,  and 
this  statement  is  confirmed  by  the  report  made  on  the 
18th  July,  1740,  by  a  committee  of  the  House  of  Com- 
mons of  the  province  of  South  Carolina,  in  which  it  is 
said,  referring  to  these  transactions,  that  Moore  was  obliged 
to  retreat,  but  not  loithout  first  burning  the  town.* 

It  seems  that  the  plunder  carried  off  by  Moore's  troops 
was  considerable  ;  as  his  enemies  charged  at  the  time  that 
he  sent  otFa  sloop-load  to  Jamaica,  and  in  an  old  colonial 
document  of  South  Carolina  it  is  represented  "  that  the  late 
unfortunate,  ill-contrived,  and  worst  managed  expedition 
against  St.  Augustine,  was  principally  set  on  foot  by  the 
<aid  late  governor  and  his  adherents;  and  that  if  any  per- 
son in  the  said  late  assembly  undertook  to  speak  against  it, 
and  to  show  how  unfit  and  unable  we  were  at  that  time  for 
such  an  attempt,  he  was  presently  looked  upon  by  them  as 
an  enemy  and  traitor  to  his  country,  and  reviled  and  af- 
fronted in  the  said  assembly  ;  although  the  true  design  of 
the  said  expedition  was  no  other  than  catching  and  making 
slaves  of  Indians  for  private  advantage,  and  impoverishing 
the  country.  *  *  *  And  that  the  expedition  was  to  enrich 
themselves  will  appear  particularly,  because  whatsoever 
booty,  as  rich  silks,  great  quantit}-  of  church  plate,  with  a 
great  many  other  costiv  church  ornaments  and  utensils  taken 
by  our  soldiers  at  St.  Augustine,  are  now  detained  in  the 
possession  of  the  said  late  governor  and  his  officers,  contrary 
to  an  act  of  assembly  made  for  an  equal  division  of  the  same 
amongst  the  soldiers."  f 

*  Carroll's  Hist.  Coll.,  vol.  2,  p.  352. 
f  Kivers'  Hist.  Sketches,  S.  C,  app.  456, 


80  THE    HISTORY    AND   ANTIQUITIES 

The  Spanish  accounts  of  this  expedition  of  Aloorc's  are 
very  meager.  They  designate  him  as  the  governor  of  St. 
George,  by  which  name  they  called  the  harbor  of  Charles- 
ton ;  and  they  also  speak  of  the  plunder  of  the  town,  and 
the  burning  of  the  greater  part  of  the  houses.  Don  Joseph 
de  Currio-a  was  the  then  governor  of  the  citv,  and  had  re- 
ceived  just  previous  to  the  English  attack,  reinforcements 
from  Havana,  and  had  repaired  and  strengthened  the  fortili- 
cations. 

The  retreat  of  the  Eno-lish  was  celebrated  with  o-reat  re- 
joicing  b}'  the  Spaniards,  who  had  been  for  three  months 
shut  up  within  the  limited  space  of  the  walls  of  the  castle  ; 
and  they  gladly  repaired  their  ruined  homes,  and  made  good 
theravao-es  of  the  EuGrlish  invasion.  An  Eno-lish  account 
says  that  the  two  vessels  which  appeared  otf  the  bar  and 
caused  Moore's  precipitate  retreat,  contained  but  two  hun- 
dred men,  and  that  had  he  awaited  Colonel  Daniel's  return 
T-.ith  the  siege  guns  and  ammunition,  the  castle  would  have 
fallen  into  their  hands. 

In  the  same  year,  the  king  of  Spain,  alarmed  at  the  dan- 
gers which  menaced  his  possessions  in  Florida,  gave  greater 
attention  to  the  stren2:thenina:  the  defenses  of  St.  Auijus- 
tine,  and  forwarded  considerable  reinforcements  to  the  gar- 
rison, as  well  as  additional  supplies  of  munitions. 

The  works  were  directed  to  be  strengthened,  which  Gov- 
ernor Cuniga  tliought  not  as  strong  as  had  been  represented, 
and  that  the  sea  wall  in  the  process  of  erection  was  insuf- 
ficient for  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  designed. 

Sixty  years  had  elapsed  since  the  Apalachian  Indians  had 
been  conquered  and  compelled  to  labor  upon  the  fortitica- 
tions  of  St.  Auijustine:  their  chiefs  now  asked  that  thev 
might  be  relieved  from  further  compulsory  labor;  and  after 
the  usual  number  of  references  and  reports  and  informa- 
tions, through  the  Spanish  circumlocution  offices,  this  was 
graciousl}-  granted  in  a  suspensory  form,  until  their  services 
should  be  again  required. 

J)uring  the  year  1712,  a  great  scarcity  of  provisions,  caused 
by  the  failure  of  the  usual  supjily  vessels,  reduced  the  inhab- 
itants of  St.  Augustine  to  the  verge  of  starvation  ;  and,  tin- 
two  or  three  months,  they  were  obliged  to  live  upon  horses, 
cats,  dogs,  and  other  disgusting  animals.  It  seems  strange, 
that  after  a  settlement  of  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  years, 
the  Spaniards  in  Florida  should  still  be  dependant  upon  the 
importation  of  provisions  for  their  support;  and  that  any- 
thing like  the  distress  indicated  should  prevail,  with  the 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  81 


abundant  resources  tliey  had,  from  the  fish,  oysters,  turtle, 
and  chuns  of  the  sea,  and  the  arrow-root  and.  cabbage-tree 
pahii  of  the  land. 

The  English  settlements  were  now  extendino;  into  the 
interior  portions  of  South  Carolina ;  and  the  French  had 
renewed  their  etibrts  at  settlement  and  colonization  upon 
the  rivers  discharging  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  All  three 
nations  were  competitors  for  the  trade  with  the  Indians,  and 
kept  up  an  intriguing  rivalship  for  this  trade  for  more  than 
a  hundred  years. 

There  seems  to  have  been  at  this  period  a  policy  pursued 
by  the  Spanish  authorities  in  Florida,  of  the  most  repre- 
hensible character.  The  strongest  efforts  were  made  to 
attach  all  the  Indian  tribes  to  the  Spanish  interest ;  and 
they  were  encouraged  to  carr}'  on  a  system  of  plunder  and 
annoyance  upon  the  English  settlements  of  Carolina.  They 
particularly  seized  upon  all  the  negroes  they  could  obtain, 
and  carried  them  to  the  governor  at  St.  Augustine,  who 
invariablv  refused  to  surrender  them,  alleo-ino;  that  he  was 
actin<r  under  the  instructions  of  his  o;overnment  in  so  doins^. 

In  1704,  Governor  Moore  had  made  a  sweeping  and  vig- 
orous excursion  against  the  Indian  towns  in  Middle  Florida, 
all  of  Avhom  were  in  the  Spanish  interest ;  and  had  broken 
up  and  destroyed  the  towns  and  missions  attached  to  them. 
In  1725,  Col.  Palmer  determined,  since  no  satisfaction  could 
be  obtained  for  the  incursions  of  the  Spanish  Indians,  and 
the  loss  of  their  slaves,  to  make  a  descent  upon  them  ;  and 
with  a  part}'  of  three  hundred  men  entered  Florida,  with  an 
intention  of  visiting  upon  the  province  all  the  desolation  of 
retributive  warfare. 

He  went  up  to  the  very  gates  of  St.  Augustine,  and  com- 
pelled the  inhabitants  to  seek  protection  within  the  castle. 
In  his  course  he  swept  every  thing  before  him,  destroying 
every  house,  field  and  improvement  within  his  reach  ;  car- 
rying oft'  the  live  stock,  and  every  thing  else  of  value.  The 
Spanish  Indians  who  fell  within  his  power,  were  slain  in 
large  numbers,  and  many  were  taken  prisoners.  Outside  of 
the  walls  of  St.  Augustine,  nothing  was  left  undestroyed ; 
and  the  Spanish  authorities  received  a  memorable  lesson  in 
the  law  of  retribution. 

6 


82  THE   HISTORY   AND   ANTIQUITIES 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

SIEGE  OF  ST.  AUGUSTINE,  BY  OGLETHORPE— 1732— 1740 

Difficulties  existed  for  many  years  subsequent!}^  between 
the  Spanish  and  English  settlements.  In  1732,  Oglethorpe 
planted  his  colony  in  Georgia,  and  extended  his  settlements 
along  the  coast  towards  Florida,  claiming  and  occupying  the 
country  up  to  the  margin  of  the  St.  Johns,  and  established 
a  post  at  St.  George  Island.  This  was  deemed  an  invasion 
of  the  territory  of  Spain  ;  and  the  post  was  attacked  un- 
fairly, as  the  English  say,  and  some  of  their  men  murdered. 
^  Oglethorpe,  upon  this,  acting  under  the  instructions  of  the 
home  government,  commenced  hostilities  by  arranging  a 
joint  attack  of  the  forces  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia, 
with  a  view  to  the  entire  conquest  of  Florida. 

The  instructions  of  the  king  of  England  to  Oglethorpe, 
were,  that  he  should  make  a  naval  and  land  attack  upon  St. 
Augustine  ;  "  and  if  it  shall  please  God  to  give  you  success, 
you  are  either  to  demolish  the  fort  and  bastions,  or  put  a 
garrison  in  it,  in  case  you  shall  have  men  enough  for  that 
purpose  ;  which  last,  it  is  thought,  will  be  the  best  way  to 
prevent  the  Spaniards  from  endeavoring  to  retake  and  set- 
tle the  said  place  again,  at  any  time  hereafter."  * 

Don  Manuel  Monteano  was  then  governor  of  Florida,  and 
in  command  of  the  o;arrison.  The  citv  and  castle  were 
previous!}'  in  a  poor  condition  to  withstand  an  attack  from 
a  well-prepared  foe  ;  and  on  the  11th  November,  1737,  Gov- 
ernor Monteano  wr'.tes  to  the  governor-general  of  Cuba, 
that  "the  fort  of  this  place  is  its  only  defense;  it  has  no 
casemates  for  the  shelter  of  the  men,  nor  the  necessary  ele- 
vation to  the  counter-scarp,  nor  covert  ways,  nor  ravelins  to 
the  curtains,  nor  other  exterior  works  that  could  give  time 
for  a  long  defense  ;  but  it  is  thus  naked  outside,  as  it  is 
without  soul  within,  for  there  are  no  cannon  that  could  be 
tired  twenty-four  hours,  and  though  there  were,  artillery-nieu 
to  manage  them  are  wanting." 

Under  the  superintendence  of  an  able  officer  of  eugineerSj 

*  State  Papers  of  Georgia.     Ga.  Hist.  Soc. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  83 

Don  Antonio  de  Arredondo,  the  works  were  put  in  order ; 
the  ramparts  were  lieightened  and  casemated  ;  a  covered 
way  was  made,  by  plantini;  and  embanking  four  thousand 
stakes  ;  bomb-proof  vaults  were  constructed,  and  entrench- 
ments thrown  up  around  the  town,  protected  by  ten  salient 
angles,  man}-  of  which  are  still  visible.  The  garrison  of  the 
town  Wc.s  about  seven  hundred  and  forty  soldiers,  according 
to  Governor  Mouteano's  return  of  troops.  On  the  25th 
March,  1740,  the  total  population  of  St.  Augustine,  of  all 
classes,  was  two  thousand  one  hundred  and  forty-three. 

Previous  to  his  attack  upon  the  place,  General  Oglethorpe 
obtained  the  following  information  from  prisoners  whom  he 
took  at  the  outposts.     He  says :  "  They  agree  that  there  are 
fifty  pieces  of  cannon  in  the  castle  at  St.  Augustine,  several 
of  which  are  of  brass,  from  twelve  to  forty-eight  pounds. 
It  has  four  bastions.     The  walls  are  of  stone,  and  casemated. 
The  internal  square  is  sixty  yards.     The  ditch  is  forty  feet 
wide,  and  twelve  feet  deep,  six  of  which  is  sometimes  tilled 
with  water.     The  counterscarp  is  faced  with  stone.     The^^ 
have  lately  made  a  covered  way.     The  town  is  fortified  with- 
an  entrenchment,  salient  angles  and  redoubts,  which  inclosQ' 
about  half  a  mile  in  length,  and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  width. 
The  inhabitants  and  garrison,  men,   women  and  children,, 
amount  to  above  two  thousand  five  hundred.     For  the  gar- 
rison, the  king  pays  eight  companies,  sent  from  Spain  two. 
years  since  for  the  invasion  of  Georgia  ;  upon  establishment 
fifty-three  men  each,  three  companies  of  foot  and  one  of  ar- 
tillery, of  the  old  garrison,  and  one  troop  of  horse  one  hun- 
dred each  upon  establishment;  of  these,  one  hundred  are  at 
St.  ]Marks,  ten  days'  march  from  St.  Augustine;  upon  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  one  hundred  are  disposed  in  several  small 
forts." 

Of  these  out-posts,  there  were  two,  one  on  each  side  of 
the  river  St.  Johns — at  Picolata  and  immediately  opposite — - 
and  at  Diego.  The  purpose  of  the  forts  at  Picolata  was  to 
guard  the  passage  of  the  river,  and  to  keep  open  the  com- 
munication with  St.  Marks  and  Pensacola;  and  when  threat- 
ened with'the  invasion  of  Oglethorpe,  messengers  were  dis- 
patched to  the  governor  of  Pensacola  for  aid,  and  also  to 
Mexico  by  the  same  route.  The  fort  at  Diego  was  but  a. 
small  work,  erected  by  Don  Diego  de  Spinosa,  upon  his  own 
estate;  and  the  remains  of  it,  Avith  one  or  two  cannon,  are 
still  visible.  Fort  Moosa  was  an  out-post  at  the  place  now 
known  by  that  name,  on  the  I^orth  River,  about  two  miles, 
north  of  St.  Augustine.     A  fortified  line,  a  considerable  por- 


\ 


84  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

tioii  of  which  may  now  be  traced,  extended  across  from  the 
stockades  on  the  St.  Sebastian  to  Fort  Moosa.  Communi- 
cation by  a  tide-creek  existed  tlirongh  the  marshes,  between 
the  castle  at  St.  Augustine  and  Fort  Moosa. 

Oglethorpe  first  attacked  the  two  forts  at  Picolata,  one  of 
which,  called  Fort  Poppa,  or  St.  Francis  de  Poppa,  was  a 
place  of  some  strength.  Its  remains  still  exist,  about  one- 
fourth  of  a  mile  north  of  the  termination  of  the  Bellamy 
Road,  its  eartlnvorks  being  still  strongly  marked. 

After  a  slight  resistance,  both  forts  fell  into  his  hands, 
much  to  the  annoyance  of  Governor  Monteano.  Oglethorpe 
speaks  of  Fort  Francis  as  being  of  much  importance,  "as 
commanding  the  passes  from  St.  Augustine  to  ]SIexico,  and 
into  the  country  of  the  Creek  Indians,  and  also  being  upon 
the  ferry,  where  tlie  troops  which  come  from  St.  Augustine 
must  pass."  He  found  in  it,  one  mortar  piece,  two  car- 
riages, three  small  guns,  ammunition,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
shells,  and  fifty  glass  bottles  full  of  gunpowder,  with  fuses — 
a  somewhat  novel  missile  of  war. 

The  English  general's  plan  of  operation  was,  that  the 
crews  and  troops  upon  the  vessels  should  land,  and  throw 
up  batteries  upon  Anastasia  Island,  from  thence  bombard- 
ing the  town  ;  while  he  himself  designed  to  lead  the  attack 
on  the  land  side.  Having  arrived  in  position,  he  gave  the 
signal  of  attack  to  the  fleet,  by  sending  up  a  rocket ;  but  no 
response  came  from  the  vessels,  and  he  had  the  mortification 
of  being  obliged  to  withdraw  his  troops.  The  troops  were 
unable  to  eifect  a  landing  from  the  vessels,  in  consequence 
of  a  number  of  armed  Spanish  galleys  having  been  drawn 
up  inside  the  bar;  so  that  no  landing  could  be  made  except 
under  a  severe  fire,  while  the  galleys  were  protected  from  an 
attack  by  the  ships,  in  consequence  of  the  shoal  water. 

lie  then  prepared  to  reduce  the  town  by  a  regular  siege, 
with  a  strict  blockade  by  sea.  He  hoped,  by  driving  the 
iidiabitantsinto  the  castle,  so  to  encumber  the  governor  with 
useless  mouths,  as  to  reduce  him  to  the  necessity  of  a  sur- 
render, to  avoid  starvation.  The  town  was  placed  under  the 
range  of  his  -heavy  artillery  and  mortars,  and  soon  became 
untenable,  forcing  the  citizens  generally  to  seek  the  shelter 
of  the  fort. 

Col.  Vanderduysen  was  posted  at  Point  Quartel ;  and  oth- 
ers of  the  troops  upon  Anastasia  Island,  and  the  north 
beach.  Three  batteries  were  erected  :  one  onAnastasii  Isl- 
and, called  the  ]\)za,  which  consisted  of  four  eighteen- 
pounders  and  one  nine-pounder;  one  on  the  point  of  the 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  85 

wood  of  the  island,  mounting  two  eii^htcen-pounders.  The 
remains  of  the  Poza  battery  are  still  to  be  seen,  almost  as 
distinctly  marked  as  on  the  day  of  its  erection.  Four  mor- 
tars and  forty  cohorns  were  employed  in  the  siege. 

The  siege  began  on  the  12th  June ;  and  on  the  25th  June 
a  niglit  sortie  was  made  from  the  castle  against  a  portion  of 
the  troops  under  command  of  Col.  Palmer,  who  were  en- 
camped atFortMoosa,  including  a  company  of  Scotcli  High- 
landers, numbering  eighty-five  men,  under  their  chief,  Capt. 
Mcintosh,  ail  ecpiipped  in  Highland  dress.  This  attack  was 
entirely  successful,  and  the  English  sustained  a  severe  loss, 
their  colonel  being  killed,  with  twenty  Highlanders,  twenty- 
seven  soldiers,  and  a  number  of  Indians. 

This  afi'air  at  Fort  Moosa  has  e-enerallv  been  considered 
as  a  surprise,  and  its  disastrous  results  as  tne  consequence 
of  carelessness  and  disobedience  of  the  orders  of  Oglethorpe. 
Captain  Mcintosh,  the  leader  of  the  Highlanders,  was  taken 
prisoner,  and  finally  transferred  to  Spain.  From  his  prison 
at  St.  Sebastian,  under  date  of  20th  June,  1741,  he  gives  the 
following  account  of  the  matter: — 

"  I  listed  seventy  men,  all  in  Highland  dress,  and  marched 
to  the  siege,  and  was  ordered  to  scout  nigh  St.  Augustine 
and  molest  the  enemy,  while  the  general  and  the  rest  of  his 
little  army  went  to  an  island  where  we  could  have  no  succor 
of  them.  I  punctually  obeyed  my  orders,  until  seven  hun- 
dred Spaniards  sallied  out  from  the  garrison,  an  hour  before 
daylight.  TJicy  did  not  surprise  us,  for  we  were  all  under 
arms,  ready  to  receive  them,  which  we  did  briskly,  keeping 
a  constant  firing  for  a  cpiarter  of  an  hour,  when  they  prest 
on  with  numbers  ;  was  obliged  to  take  our  swords  until  the 
most  of  us  were  shot  and  cut  to  pieces.  You  are  to  observe 
we  had  but  eighty  men  ;  and  the  engagement  was  in  view 
of  the  rest  of  our  army,  but  they  could  not  come  to  our  as- 
sistance, by  being  in  the  foresaid  island,  under  the  enemy's 
guns.  They  had  twenty  prisoners,  a  few  got  ofi-',  the  rest 
killed;  as  we  were  well  informed  by  some  of  themselves, 
they  had  three  hundred  killed  on  the  spot,*  besides  several 
wounded.  We  were  all  stripped  naked  of  clothes,  brought 
to  St.  Augustine,  where  we  remained  three  months  in  close 
confinement. t 

*  This  statement  is  unsupported  by  either  Spanish  or  English  authority.. 

The  writer  of  the  letter,  through  want  of  familiarity  with  their  language, 

misunderstood  his  informants,  in  all  probability,  as  to  the  extent  of  their 

loss. 

■j-  MSS.  in  Geo.  Hist.  Soc.  Library. 


86  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 

This  officer  was  Capt.  John  ^Mcintosh  ;  and  his  son,  Brig. 
Gen.  Mcintosh,  then  a  youth  of  fourteen,  was  present  in 
the  engagement,  and  escaped  without  injury.  The  family 
of  the  Mclntoshes  have  always  been  conspicuous  in  the  his- 
tory of  Georgia. 

The  large  number  of  persons  collected  witliin  the  walls  of 
the  castle,  and  under  the  protection  of  its  battlements,  soon 
gave  rise  to  serious  apprehensions  on  the  part  of  the 
besieged,  of  being  reduced  by  starvation  to  the  necessity  of 
a  speedy  surrender.  The  batteries  of  Oglethorpe  were 
planted  at  so  great  a  distance  that  he  could  produce  but 
little  cti'cct  by  his  shot  or  shells  upon  the  castle,  although 
he  rendered  the  city  itself  untenable.  The  heat  of  the  sea- 
son and  the  exposure,  to  which  the  Provincial  militia  were 
unaccustomed,  soon  produced  considerable  sickness  and  dis- 
couragement in  the  invading  force,  and  affected  Oglethorpe 
himself. 

The  Spanish  governor  sent  most  urgent  messages  to  the 
governor  of  the  island  of  Cuba,  which  were  transmitted  by 
runners  along  the  coast,  and  thence  by  small  vessels  across 
to  Ilavamx.  In  one  of  these  letters  he  says,  "My  greatest 
anxiety  is  for  provisions;  and  if  they  do  not  come,  there  is 
no  doubt  of  our  dying  by  the  hands  of  hunger."  In  another, 
he  says,  "I  assure  your  Lordship,  that  it  is  impossible  to 
express  the  confusion  of  the  place  ;  for  we  have  no  protec- 
tion except  the  fort,  and  all  the  rest  is  open  field.  The 
families  have  abandoned  their  houses,  and  come  to  put 
tlicmselves  under  the  guns,  which  is  pitiable;  though 
nothing  gives  me  anxiety  but  tlie  want  of  provisions  ;  and  if 
your  Lordship  for  want  of  competent  force  cannot  send  relief, 
we  all  must  perish."  * 

With  the  exception  of  the  Fort  Moosa  affair,  the  hostili- 
ties were  confined  to  the  exchange  of  shots  between  the 
•castle  and  the  batteries.  Considei'uble  discrepancy  exists 
between  the  Spanish  and  English  accounts,  as  to  the  period 
Avhen  the  sjarrison  was  relieved:  it  was  the  communication 
of  the  fact  of  relief  having  been  received,  which  formed  the 
ostensible  ground  of  abandoning  the  siege  by  Oglethorpe  ; 
but  the  Spanish  governor  asserts  that  these  provision  ves- 
sels did  not  arrive  until  the  siege  was  raised.  The  real  fact, 
I  am  inclined  to  think,  is  that  the  provision  vessels  arrived 
at  Mosquito,  a  harbor  sixty  miles  below,  where  they  were  to 
4ivvait  orders  from  Gov.  Monteano,  as  to  the  mode  of  getting 

*  Monteano,  MSS.,  Archives  St.  Augustine. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  87 

discharged,*  and  that  the  information  of  their  arrival,  heing 
known  at  St.  Augustine,  was  communicated  to  the  English, 
and  thus  induced  their  raising  the  siege;  in  fact,  the  hope 
of  starving  out  the  garrison  was  the  only  hope  left  to  Ogle- 
thorpe ;  his  strength  Avas  insufficient  for  an  assault,  and  his 
means  inadequate  to  reduce  the  castle,  which  was  well 
manned  and  well  provided  with  means  of  defense. 

It  was  in  truth  a  hopeless  task,  under  the  circumstances, 
for  Oglethorpe  to  persevere ;  and  it  is  no  impeachment  of 
his  courage  or  his  generalship,  that  he  was  unable  to  take  a 
fortress  of  really  very  respectable  strength. 

The  siege  continued  from  the  13th  June  to  the  20th  July,  a 
period  of  thirty-eight  days.  The  bombardment  was  kept 
up  twenty  days,  but  owing  to  the  lightness  of  the  guns  and 
the  long  range,  but  little  effect  was  produced  on  the  strong 
walls  of  the  castle.  Its  spongy,  infrangible  walls  received 
the  balls  from  the  batteries  like  a  cotton  bale,  or  sand  bat- 
tery, almost  without  making  an  impression  ;  this  may  be 
seen  on  examination,  since  the  marks  remain  to  this  day,  as 
they  were  left  at  the  end  of  the  siege,  one  hundred  and 
seventeen  years  ago. 

The  prosecution  of  the  siege  having  become  impracticable, 
preparations  were  made  for  retiring;  and  Oglethorpe,  as  a 
pardonable  and  characteristic  protest  against  the  assumption 
of  his  actino;  from  anv  coercion,  with  drums  beating  and 
banners  displayed,  crossed  over  to  the  main  land,  and 
marched  in  full  view  of  the  castle,  to  his  encampment  three 
miles  distant,  situated  probably  at  the  point  now  knowni  as 
Pass  Navarro. 

Great  credit  and  respect  have  been  deservedly  awarded  to 
Governor  Monteano,  for  the  courage,  skill,  and  perseve- 
rance with  which  he  sustained  the  siesre. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  English  general  had,  in  a  few 
months,  an  ample  opportunity  of  showing  to  his  opponent 
that  his  skill  in  defending  his  own  territory  under  the  most 
disadvantageous  circumstances,  was  equal  to  that  of  the  ac- 
complished Monteano  himself.  The  defense  of  Frederica, 
and  signal  defeat  of  the  Spanish  forces  at  Fort  Simons,  will 
ever  challange  for  Oglethorpe  the  highest  credit  for  the 
most  sterling  qualities  of  a  good  general  and  a  great  man. 

Two  years  subsequently,  Oglethorpe  again  advanced  into 
Florida,  appeared  before  the  gates  of  St.  Augustine,  and 
endeavored  to  induce  the  garrison  to  march  out  to  meet 
him ;  but  they  kept  within  their  walls,  and  Oglethorpe  iii 

*  Monteano,  MS.  Letter  of,  28th  July,  1740. 


88  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

one  of  his  despatches  says,  in  the  irritation  caused  by  their 
prudence,  "  that  they  were  so  meek  there  was  no  provoking 
them."  As  in  this  incursion  he  had  no  object  in  view  but  a 
devastation  of  the  country,  and  harrassing  the  enemy,  he 
shortly  withdrew  his  forces. 

A  committee  of  the  South  Carolina  House  of  Commons, 
in  a  report  upon  the  Oglethorpe  expedition,  thus  speaks  of 
St.  Augustine,  evidently  smarting  under  the  disappointment 
of  their  recent  defeat. 

"July  1st,  1741." 

"St.  Augustine,  in  the  possession  of  the  crown  of  Spain, 
is  well  known  to  be  situated  but  little  distance  from  hence, 
in  latitude  thirty  degrees,  in  Florida,  the  next  territory  to 
us.  It  is  maintained  by  his  Catholic  Majesty,  partly  to  pre- 
serve his  claim  to  Florida,  and  partly  that  it  may  be  of  ser- 
vice to  the  plate-fleets  when  coming  through  the  gulf,  by 
showing  lights  to  them  along  the  coast,  and  by  being  ready 
to  give  assistance  when  any  of  them  are  cast  away  there- 
about. The  castle,  by  the  largest  account,  dotli  not  cover 
more  than  one  acre  of  ground,  but  is  allowed  on  all  hands 
to  be  a  place  of  great  strength,  and  hath  been  usually 
garrisoned  with  about  three  or  four  hundred  men  of  the 
king's  regular  troops.  The  town  is  not  very  large,  and  but 
indifferently  fortified.  The  inhabitants,  many  of  which  are 
mulattoes  of  savage  dispositions,  arc  all  in  the  king's  pay ; 
also  being  registered  from  their  birth,  and  a  severe  penalty 
laid  on  any  master  of  a  vessel  that  shall  attempt  to  carry  any 
of  them  oil'.  These  are  formed  into  a  militia,  and  have  been 
generally  computed  to  be  near  about  the  same  number  as 
the  regular  troops.  Thus  relying  wholly  on  the  king's  pay  for 
their  subsistence,  their  thoughts  never  turned  to  trade  or  even 
agriculture,  but  depending  on  foreign  supplies  for  the  most 
common  necessaries  of  life,  they  spent  their  time  in  uni- 
versal, perpetual  idleness.  From  such  a  state,  mischievous 
inclinations  naturally  spring  up  in  such  a  people;  and 
having  leisure  and  opportunity,  ever  since  they  had  a  neigh- 
bor the  fruits  of  whose  industry  excited  their  desires  and 
envy,  they  have  not  failed  to  carry  those  inclinations  into 
action  as  often  as  they  could,  without  the  least  regard  to 
peace  or  war  subsisting  between  the  two  crowns  of  Great 
Britain  and  Spain,  or  to  stipulations  agreed  upon  between 
the  two  governments."* 

*Keport  upon  Expedition  to  St.  Augustine.     Carroll's  Coll.   2d  vol.,  p. 
354. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  89 


Among  the  principal  grievances  set  forth  in  this  report, 
was  the  carrying  oft' and  enticing  andharhoring  their  slaves, 
of  which  a  number  of  instances  are  enumerated;  and  they 
attributed  the  neo-ro  insurrection  which  occurred  in  kSoutli 
Carolina,  in  1789,  to  the  connivance  and  agency  of  the 
Spanish  authorities  at  St.  Augustine;  and  they  proceed  in  a 
climax  of  indignation  to  hurl  their  denunciation  at  the  sup- 
posed authors  of  their  misfortunes,  in  the  following  terms: 
"  With  indignation  we  looked  at  St.  Augustine  (like  another 
Sallee!)  That  den  of  thieves  and  ruffians!  receptacle  of 
debtors,  servants  and  slaves  !  bane  of  industry  and  society! 
and  revolved  in  our  minds  all  the  injuries  this  province  had 
received  from  thence,  ever  since  its  first  settlement.  That 
they  had  from  first  to  last,  in  times  of  profoundest  peace, 
both  publickly  and  privately,  by  themselves,  Indians,  and 
N^egroes,  in  every  shape  molested  us,  not  without  some  in- 
stances of  uncommon  cruelty."* 

It  is  very  certain  there  was  on  each  side,  enough  supposed 
causes  of  provocation  to  induce  a  far  from  amiable  state  of 
feeling  between  these  neighboring  colonies. 

*  Carroll's  Hist.  Coll.  S.  C.  p.  359. 


90  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 


CHAPTEH    XV. 

COMPLETION  OF  THE   CASTLE  — DESCRIPTIONS   OF   ST.  AU- 
GUSTINE A  CENTURY  AGO— ENGLISH   OCCUPATION 
OF  FLORIDA.     1755—1763—1783. 

Don  Alonzo  Fernandez  cle  Herrera  was  appointed  gover- 
nor of  Florida  in  1755,  and  completed  the  exterior  works 
and  finish  of  the  fort.  It  is  this  governor  who  erected  the 
tablet  over  its  main  entrance,  with  the  Spanish  coat  of  arms 
sculptured  in  alto  relievo,  with  the  following  inscription  be- 
neath : — 

REYNANDO  EN  ESPANA  EL  SEN^ 

DON  FERNANDO  SEXTO  Y  SIENDO 

GOV°^  Y  CAP^  DE  ES^^  C^  S'^^  AUG^  DE 

LA    FLORIDA    Y    SUS   PROV^.    EL    MARISCAL 

DE    CAMPO    D^ ALONZO    FERN^^    HEREDA 

ASI  CONCLUIO  ESTE  CASTILLO  EL  AN 

OD   1756  DIRI^ENDO  LAS  OBRAS  EL 

CAP.  INGN^°  DN  PEDRO  DE  BROZAS 

Y  GARAY. 

Don  Ferdinand  the  Sixth,  being  king  of  Spain,  and  the 
Field  Marshal,  Don  Alonzo  Fernando  Hereda,  being  Gov- 
ernor AND  Captain  General  of  this  place,  St.  Augustine, 
OF  Florida,  and  its  province.  This  fort  was  finished  in 
the  year  1756.  The  works  were  directed  by  the  Captain 
Engineer,  Don  Pedro  de  Brazos  y  Garay. 

I  am  not  sure  but  that  the  boastful  governor  might  with 
equal  propriety  and  truth  have  put  a  similar  inscription  at 
the  city  gate,  claiming  the  town  also  as  a  finished  city. 

The  first  fort  erected  was  called  San  Juan  de  Pinos,  and 
probably  the  same  name  attached  to  the  present  fort  at  the 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  91 

commencement  of  its  erection  ;  when  it  acquired  tlio  name 
of  St.  Mark,  I  have  not  discovered.  The  Apahichian  Indi- 
ans were  employed  npon  it  for  more  than  sixty  years,  and 
to  their  efforts  are  prol)ably  due  the  evidences  of  immense 
hibor  in  the  construction  of  the  ditch,  the  ramparts  and 
glacis,  and  the  approaches  ;  while  the  huge  mass  of  stone 
contained  in  its  solid  walls,  must  have  required  the  la- 
bor of  hundreds  of  persons  for  many  long  years,  in  pro- 
curing and  cutting  the  stone  in  the  quarries  on  the  island, 
transporting  it  to  the  water,  and  across  the  bay,  and  fash- 
ioning ar.d  raising  them  to  their  places.  Besides  the  Indi- 
ans employed,  some  labor  was  constantly  bestowed  by  the 
garrison  ;  and,  for  a  considerable  period,  convicts  were 
brought  hither  from  Mexico  to  carry  on  the  public  works. 
During  the  works  of  extension  and  repair  effected  by  Mon- 
teano,  previous  to  the  siege  by  Oglethorpe,  he  employed 
upon  it  one  hundred  and  forty  of  these  Mexican  convicts. 
The  southwestern  bastion  is  said  to  have  been  completed  by 
Monteano.  The  bastions  bore<the  names  respectively  of  St. 
Paul,  St.  Peter,  St.  James,  &c. 

The  whole  work  remains  now  as  it  was  in  1756,  with  the 
exception  of  the  water  battery,  which  was  reconstructed  b}- 
the  government  of  the  United  States  in  1842—3.  The  com- 
plement of  its  guns  is  one  hundred,  and  its  full  garrison  es- 
tablishment requires  one  thousand  men.  It  is  built  upon 
the  plan  of  Vauban,  and  is  considered  by  military  men  as  a 
very  credital)le  work;  its  strength  and  efficiency  have  been 
well  tested  in  the -old  times  ;  for  it  has  never  been  taken,  al- 
though twice  besieged,  and  several  times  attacked.  Its 
frowning  battlements  and  sepulchral  vaults  will  long  stand 
-after  we  and  those  of  our  day  shall  be  numbered  with  that 
long  past,  of  which  it  is  itself  a  memorial  ;  of  its  legends 
connected  with  the  dark  chambers  and  prison  vaults,  the 
chains,  the  instruments  of  torture,  the  skeletons  walled  in, 
its  closed  and  hidden  recesses — of  Coacouchee's  escape,  and 
many  another  tale,  there  is  much  to  say  ;  but  it  is  better  said 
within  its  grim  walls,  where  the  eye  and  the  imagination 
can  go  together,  in  weaving  a  web  of  mystery  and  awe  over 
its  sad  associations,  to  the  music  of  the  grating  _bolt,  the 
echoing  tread,  and  the  clanking  chain. 

Of  the  city  itself,  we  have  the  following  description  in 
1754  :— 

"It  is  built  on  a  little  bay,  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  shaded  by 
trees,  and  forms  an  oblong  square,  divided  into  four  streets, 
and  has  two  fall  streets,  which  cut  each  other  at  right  an- 


92  THE    HISTORY    AND   ANTIQUITIES 

2:les.  The  houses  are  avcII  built,  and  rcs-ular.  They  liave 
only  one  church,  which  is  called  after  the  city.  St.  John's 
Fort,  standing  about  a  mile  north  of  it,  is  a  strong,  irregu- 
lar fortification,  well  mounted  with  cannon,  and  capable  of 
making  a  long  defense." 

I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  mile  between  the  fort  and 
the  city,  and  the  Jiill  at  the  foot  of  which,  he  says,  the  city 
w^as  built,  existed  only  in  the  focus  of  the  writer's  specta- 
cles. 

The  Proyinces  of  Florida  were  ceded  by  treaty  to  Eng- 
land in  the  year  1763,  and  the  Spanish  inhabitants  yery  gen- 
erally left  the  country,  which  had  then  been  under  Spanish 
rule  for  near  tvyo  hundred  years  ;  and  certainly  in  no  por- 
tion of  this  country  had  less  progress  been  made.  Beyond 
the  walls  occupied  by  its  garrison,  little  had  been  attempted 
or  accomplished  in  these  two  hundred  years.  This  was  in 
part,  perhaps,  attributable  to  the  circumstances  of  the  coun- 
try— the  frequent  hostility  of  the  Indians,  and  the  Avant  of 
that  mutual  support  giyen  by  neighborhoods,  whicli  in  Flor- 
ida are  less  practicable  than  elsewhere  ;  but  it  was  still  more 
owing  to  the  character  of  the  Spanish  inhabitants,  who  were 
more  soldiers  than  civilians,  and  more  townsmen  than  au'ri- 
culturists  ;  at  all  events,  at  the  cession  of  Florida  to  Great 
Britain,  the  number  of  inhabitants  was  not  over  five  thou- 
sand. 

Of  the  period  of  the  English  occupation  of  Florida,  we 
have  very  full  accounts.  It  was  a  primary  object  with  the 
British  government,  to  colonize  and  settle  it;  and  induce- 
ments to  emigrants  were  strongly  put  forth,  in  various  pub- 
lications. The  work  of  Roberts  was  the  first  of  these,  and 
was  followed  in  a  few  years  by  those  of  Bartram,  Stork,, 
and  Ixomans.  The  works  of  both  Boberts  and  Stork,  con- 
tain plans  and  minute  descriptions  of  St.  Augustine.  The 
plan  of  the  town  in  Stork,  represents  every  building,  lot, 
garden,  and  flower-bed  in  the  place,  and  gives  a  very  accu- 
rate view  of  its  general  appearance. 

The  descri[)tions  vary  somewhat.  Boberts,  who  published 
his  work  the  year  of  the  cession,  1763,  shows  in  connection 
with  his  plan  of  the  town,  an  Indian  village  on  the  point 
soutli  of  the  city,  at  the  powder-house,  and  another  just 
north  of  the  city.  The  one  to  the  north  has  a  church.  A 
negro  fort  is  shown  about  a  mile  to  the  northward.  Ogle- 
thorpe's landing  place  is  shown  on  Anastasia  Island,  and  a 
small  fort  on  the  main  land  south  of  the  city.  The  depth 
of  Avater  on  the  bar  is  marked  as  being  at  low  water,  eight 
feet. 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  93 

Roberts  describes  the  city  as  "runninc;  along  the  sliore  at 
the  foot  of  a  pleasant  hill,  adorned  with  trees  ;  its  form  is 
oblong,  divided  by  four  regular  streets,  crossing  each  other 
at  right  angles  ;  down  by  the  sea  side,  about  three-fourths 
of  a  niile  south  of  the  town,  standeth  the  church,  and  a 
monastery  of  St.  Augustine.  The  best  built  part  of  the 
town  is  on  the  north  side,  leading  to  the  castle,  which  is 
called  St.  J-ohn's  Fort.  It  is  a  square  building  of  soft  stone, 
fortified  with  whole  bastions,  having  a  rampart  of  twenty 
feet  high,  with  a  parapet  nine  feet  high,  and  it  is  casemated. 
The  town  is  fortified  with  bastions,  and  with  cannon.  On 
the  north  and  south,  without  the  walls  of  the  city,  are  the 
Indian  towns." 

The  next  plan  we  have,  is  in  the  work  by  Dr.  Stork,  the 
third  edition  of  which  was  published  in  1769.  He  gives  a 
beautiful  plan  of  the  place.  Shows  the  fort  as  it  now  exists, 
with  its  various  outworks  ;  three  churches  are  designated, 
one  on  the  public  square  at  its  southwest  corner ;  another 
on  St.  George  street,  on  the  lot  on  the  west  side,  south  of 
Green  lane,  and  a  Dutch  church  near  where  the  Roman 
Catholic  cemetery  now  exists.  From  the  size  of  the  plan, 
it  does  not  embrace  the  Indian  village.  The  present  United 
States  Court-house  was  the  governor's  official  residence,  and 
is  represented  as  having  attached  to  it  a  beautiful  garden. 
The  Franciscan  ho.use  or  convent  is  shown  where  the  bar- 
racks are  now,  but  different  in  the  form  of  the  buildings. 
"With  the  exception  of  the  disappearance  of  a  part  of  one 
street  then  existing,  there  appears  very  little  change  from 
the  present  plan  of  the  town  and  buildings. 

He  describes  the  fort  as  being  finished  "accordino-  to  the 
modern  taste  of  military  architecture,"  and  as  making  a 
very  handsome  appearance,  and  "that  it  might  justly  be 
deemed  the  prettiest  fort  in  the  king's  dominion."  He 
omits  the  pleasant  hill  from  his  description,  and  says  "the 
town  is  situated  near  the  glacis  of  the  fort ;  the  streets  are 
regularly  laid  out,  and  built  narrow  for  the  purposes  of  shade. 
It  is  above  half  a  mile  in  length,  regularly  fortified  with  bas- 
tions, half-bastions,  and  a  ditch  ;  that  it  had  also  several  rows 
of  the  Spanish  bayonet  along  the  ditch,  which  formed  so  close 
a  chevaux  de  frize,  w^ith  their  pointed  leaves,  as  to  be  im- 
penetrable; the  southern  bastions  were  built  of  stone.  In 
the  middle  of  the  town  is  a  spacious  square,  called  the 
parade,  open  towards  the  harbor ;  at  the  bottom  of  the 
square  is  the  governor's  house,  the  apartments  of  which  are 
spacious  and   suitable;  suited   to   the  climate,  with   high 


94  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

windows,  a  balcony  in  front,  and  galleries  on  both  sides  ;  to 
the  back  of  the  house  is  joined  a  tower,  called  in  America 
a  look-out,  from  which  there  is  an  extensive  prospect  to- 
wards the  sea,  as  well  as  inland.  There  are  two  churches 
within  the  walls  of  the  town,  the  parish  church,  a  plain 
buildino;,  and  another  belono-ins:  to  the  convent  of  Francis- 
can  Friars,  which  is  converted  into  barracks  for  the  garri- 
son. The  houses  are  built  of  free-stone,  commonly  two 
stories  high,  two  rooms  upon  a  floor,  with  large  windows 
and  balconies;  before  the  entry  of  most  of  the  houses,  runs 
a  portico  of  stone  arches.  The  roofs  are  commonly  flat. 
The  Spaniards  consulted  convenience  more  than  taste  in 
their  buildings.  The  number  of  houses  within  the  town 
and  lines,  when  the  Spaniards  left  it,  was  about  nine  hun- 
dred; many  of  them,  especially  in  the  suburbs,  being  built 
of  wood,  are  now  gone  to  decay.  The  inhabitants  were  of 
all  colors,  whites,  negroes,  mulattoes,  Indians,  &c.  At  the 
evacuation  of  St.  Augustine,  the  population  was  five  thou- 
sand seven  hundred,  includin«r  the  2:arrison  of  two  thousand 
five  hundred  men.  Haifa  mile  from  the  town  to  the  west, 
is  a  line  Avith  a  broad  ditch  and  bastions,  running  from  the 
St.  Sebastian  creek  to  St.  Marks  river.  A  mile  further  is 
another  fortified  line  with  some  redoubts,  forming  a  second 
communication  between  a  stoccata  fort  upon  St.  Sebastian 
river,  and  Fort  Moosa,  upon  St.  j\farks  river. 

"Within  the  first  line  near  the  town,  was  a  small  settle- 
ment of  Germans,  who  had  a  church  of  their  own.  Upon 
the  St.  Marks  river,  within  the  second  line,  was  also  an 
Indian  town,  with  a  church  built  of  freestone  ;  what  is  very 
remarkable,  it  is  in  good  taste,  though  built  by  the  Indians." 

The  two  lines  of  defense  here  spoken  of,  may  still  be 
traced.  The  nearest  one  is  less  than  one-fourth  of  a  mile 
from  the  cit}^  gate,  and  the  other  at  the  well-known  place 
called  the  stockades,  the  stakes  driven  to  form  which,  still 
distinctly  mark  the  place ;  and  the  ditch  and  embankment 
can  be  traced  for  a  considerable  distance  through  the  grounds 
attached  to  my  residence. 

A  letter-writer,  who  dates  at  St.  Augustine,  May,  1774, 
says,  "  This  town  is  now  truly  become  a  heap  of  ruins,  a  fit 
receptacle  for  the  wretches  of  inhabitants."  (Rather  a 
dyspeptic  description,  in  all  probability.) 

A  bridge  was  built  across  the  Sebastian  river  by  tlic 
English,  ''  but  the  great  depth  of  the  water,  joined  to  the 
instability  of  the  bottom,  did  not  suft'er  it  to  remain  Ions;, 
and  a  ferry  is  now  established  in  its  room ;   the  keeper  of 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  95 

the  ferry  has  fifty  pounds  per  annum  allowed  him,  and  the 
inhabitants  pay  nothing  for  crossing,  except  after  dark." 

The  English  constructed  large  buildings  for  barracks, 
characterized  by  Komans  "  as  such  stupendous  piles  of 
buildings,  which  were  large  enough  to  contain  five  regi- 
ments, when  it  is  a  matter  of  great  doubt  whether  there 
will  ever  be  a  necessit}^  to  keep  one  whole  regiment  here. 
The  material  for  this  great  barracks  was  brought  from  New 
York,  and  far  inferior  to  those  found  on  the  spot ;  yet  the 
freight  alone  amounted  to  more  than  their  value  Avhen 
landed.  It  makes  us  almost  believe,"  says  the  elaborate 
Romans,  "  that  all  this  show  is  in  vain,  or  at  most,  that  the 
English  were  so  much  in  dread  of  musquitoes,  that  thc}^ 
thought  a  large  army  requisite  to  drive  ofl' these  formidable 
foes.  To  be  serious,"  says  he,  "  this  fort  and  barracks  add 
not  a  little  to  the  beauty  of  the  prospect ;  but  most  men 
would  think  that  the  money  spent  on  this  useless  parade, 
would  have  been  better  laid  out  on  roads  and  fences  through 
the  province;  or,  if  it  must  be  in  forts,  why  not  at  Pensa- 
cola? " 

There  is  a  manuscript  work  of  John  Gerard  Williams  de 
Brahm,  existing  in  the  library  of  Harvard  University,  which 
contains  some  particulars  of  interest,  relative  to  Florida  at 
the  period  of  the  English  occupation. 

He  states  the  number  of  inhabitants  of  East  Florida, 
which  in  those  days  meant  mostly  St.  Augustine,  from  1663 
to  1771,  as  follows:  householders,  besides  women,  &c.,  two 
hundred  and  eighty-eight;  imported  by  Mr.  Turubull  from 
Minorca,  &c.,  one  thousand  four  hundred;  negroes,  upwards 
of  nine  hundred.  Of  these,  white  heads  of  families,  one 
hundred  and  forty-four  were  married,  which  is  just  one- 
lialf;  thirty-one  are  storekeepers  and  traders ;  three  haber- 
dashers, fifteen  innkeepers,  forty-five  artificers  and  mechan- 
ics, one  hundred  and  ten  planters,  four  hunters,  six  cow- 
keepers,  eleven  overseers,  twelve  draftsmen  in  employ  of 
government,  besides  mathematicians;  fifty-eight  had  left 
the  province  ;  twenty-eight  dead,  of  whom  four  were  killed 
acting  as  constables,  two  hanged  for  pirating.  Among  the 
names  of  those  then  residing  in  East  Florida  are  mentioned 
Sir  Charles  Burdett,  William  Drayton,  Esq.,  planter.  Chief 
Justice;  Rev.  John  Forbes,  parson.  Judge  of  Admiralty 
and  Councillor;  Rev.  N.  Eraser,  parson  at  Musquito  ;  Gov- 
ernor James  Grant,  Hon.  John  Moultrie,  planter  aud  Lieu- 
tenant Governor;  William  Stork,  Esq.,  historian  ;  Andrew 
TurnbuU,  Esq.,  H.  M.  Counselor;  Bernard  Romans,  drafts- 
man, &c. ;  William  Bartram,  planter;  James  Moultrie,  Esq. 


96  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

He  says,  The  light  house  on  Anastasia  Island  had  been 
constructed  and  built  of"  mason-workby  the  Spaniards;  and, 
in  1769,  by  order  of  General  lialdimand,  it  was  raised  sixt}' 
feet  higher  in  carpenter's  work,  had  a  cannon  planted  on 
the  top,  which  is  fired  the  very  moment  the  flag  is  hoisted, 
for  a  signal  to  the  town  and  pilots  that  a  vessel  is  ofl:".  The 
light  house  has  two  flag-stafts,  one  to  the  south  and  one  to 
the  north  ;  on  either  of  which  the  flag  is  hoisted,  viz.,  to  the 
south  if  the  vessel  comes  from  thence,  and  the  north  if  the 
vessel  comes  that  way. 

"  The  town  is  situated  in  a  healthy  zone,  is  surrounded 
with  salt  water  marshes,  not  at  all  prejudicial  to  health; 
their  evaporations  are  swept  away  in  the  day  time  b}-  the 
easterly  winds,  and  in  the  night  season  by  the  westerly 
winds  trading  back  to  the  eastward.  At  the  time  when  the 
Spaniards  left  the  town,  all  the  gardens  were  well  stocked 
with  fruit  trees,  viz.,  figs,  guavas,  plantain,  pomegranates, 
lemons,  limes,  citrons,  shadock,  bergamot,  China  and 
Seville  oranges,  the  latter  full  of  fruit  throughout  the  whole 
winter  season  ;  and  the  pot-herbs,  though  suspended  in 
their  vegetation,  w-ere  seldom  destroyed  by  cold.  The 
town  is  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  length,  but  not  quite  a 
quarter  wide ;  had  four  churches  ornamently  built  with 
stone  in  the  Spanish  taste,  of  which  one  within  and  one 
without  the  town  still  exist.  One  is  pulled  down  ;  that  is 
the  German  church,  but  the  steeple  is  preserved  as  an  orna- 
ment to  the  town  ;  and  the  other,  viz.,  the  convent  church 
and  convent  in  town  is  taken  in  the  bod\-  of  the  barracks. 
All  houses  are  built  of  masonry;  their  entrances  are  shaded 
by  piazzas,  supported  by  Tuscan  pillars  or  pilasters,  against 
the  south 'sun.  The  houses  have  to  the  east  windows  pro- 
jecting sixteen  or  eighteen  inches  into  the  street,  very  wide, 
and  proportionally  high.  On  the  west  side,  their  windows 
are  commonly  very  small,  and  no  opening  of  any  kind  to 
the  north,  on  which  side  they  have  double  walls  six  or  eight 
feet  asunder,  forming  a  kind  of  gallery,  which  answers  for 
cellars  and  pantries.  Before  most  of  the  entrances  were 
arbors  of  vines,  producing  plenty  and  very  good  grapes. 
Xo  house  has  any  chimney  for  a  fire-place;  the  Spaniards 
made  use  of  stone  urns,  filled  them  with  coals  left  in  their 
kitchens  in  the  afternoon,  and  set  them  at  sunset  in  their 
bed-rooms,  to  defend  themselves'against  those  winter  sea- 
sons, whicli  required  such  care.  The  governor's  residence 
has  both  sides  piazzas,  viz.,  a  double  one  to  the  south,  and 
a  single  one  to  the  north;  also  a  Belvidere  and  a  grand  por- 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,  FLORIDA.  97 


tico  decorated  with  Doric  pillars  and  entablatures.  On  the 
north  end  of  the  town  is  a  casemated  fort,  with  four  bas- 
tions, a  ravelin,  counterscarp,  and  a  glacis  built  with  quar- 
ried shell-stones,  and  constructed  according  to  the  rudi- 
ments of  Marechal  de  Vauban.  This  fort  commands  the 
road  of  the  bay,  the  town,  its  environs,  and  both  Toloraako 
stream  and  Mantanzas  creek.  The  soil  in  the  gardens  and 
environs  of  the  town  is  chiefly  sandy  and  marshy.  The 
Spaniards  seem  to  have  had  a  notion  of  manuring  their  land 
with  shells  one  foot  deep. 

"  Among  the  three  thousand  who  evacuated  St.  Augus- 
tine, the  author  is  credibly  informed,  were  many  Spaniards 
near  and  above  the  age  of  one  hundred  years,  (observe:) 
this  nation,  especially  natives  of  St.  Augustine,  bore  the 
reputation  of  great  sobriety."* 

On  the  3d  of  January,  1766,  the  themometer  sunk  to  26° 
with  the  wind  from  N.  W.  "  The  ground  was  frozen  an 
inch  thick  on  the  banks  ;  this  was  the  fatal  night  that  de- 
stroyed the  lime,  citron,  and  banana  trees  in  St.  Augustine, 
and  many  curious  evergreens  up  the  river  that  were  twenty 
years  old  in  a  flourishing  state. "f  In  1774  there  was  a  snow 
storm,  which  extended  over  most  of  the  province.  The  an- 
cient inhabitants  still  (1836)  speak  of  it  as  an  extraordinar}' 
white  rain.     It  was  said  to  have  done  little  damage.| 

In  this  connection,  and  as  it  is  sometimes  supposed  that 
the  climate  is  now  colder  than  formerly,  it  may  be  stated 
that  the  thermometer  went  very  low  in  1799.  East  Florida 
suffered  from  a  violent  frost  on  the  6th  April,  1828.  In 
February,  1835,  the  thermometor  sunk  to  7°  above  zero, 
wind  ftom  N.  W. ;  and  the  St.  Johns  river  was  frozen 
several  rods  from  the  shore ;  all  kinds  of  fruit  trees  were 
killed  to  the  ground,  and  the  wild  orange  trees  suff"ered  as 
well  as  the  cultivated. 

Dr.  Nicholas  Turnbull,  in  the  year  1767,  associated  with 
Sir  William  Duncan  and  other  Englishmen  of  note,  pro- 
jected a  colony  of  European  emigrants,  to  be  settled  at  New 
Smyrna.  He  brought  from  the  islands  of  Greece,  Corsica, 
and  Minorca,  some  fourteen  hundred  persons,  agreeing  to 
convey  them  free  of  expense,  find  them  in  clothing  and  pro- 
visions, and,  at  the  end  of  three  years,  to  give  fift}^  acres  ot 
land  to  each  head  of  a  family,  and  twenty-five  to  each  child. 

*  De  Brahm  MS.,  p.  192. 

t  Stork,  p.  11. 

J  Williams'  Florida,  p.  17. 


98  THE   HISTORY   AND   ANTIQUITIES 

After  a  long  passage  thej  arrived  out,  and  fonned  the  set- 
tlement. The  principal  article  of  cultivation  produced  by 
them  was  indigo,  which  commanded  a  high  price,  and  was 
assisted  by  a  bounty  from  the  English  government.  After 
a  few  years,  Turnbull,  as  is  alleged,  either  from  avarice  or 
natural  cruelty,  assumed  a  control  the  most  absolute  over 
these  colonists,  and  practiced  cruelties  the  most  painful  upon 
them. 

An  insurrection  took  place  in  1769  among  them,  in  con- 
sequence of  severe  punishments,  which  was  speedily  re- 
pressed, and  the  leaders  of  it  brought  to  trial  before  the 
English  court  at  St.  Augustine ;  five  of  the  number  were 
convicted  and  sentenced  to  death.  Gov.  Grant  pardoned 
two  of  the  iive,  and  a  third  was  released  upon  the  condition 
of  his  becoming  the  executioner  of  the  other  two.  Nine 
years  after  the  commencement  of  their  settlement,  their 
number  had  become  reduced  from  1,400  to  GOO.  In  1776, 
proceedings  were  instituted  on  their  behalf  by  Mr.  Yonge, 
the  attorney-general  of  the  province,  which  resulted  in  their 
being  exonerated  from  their  contract  with  Turnbull  ;  lands 
were  thereupon  assigned  them  in  the  northren  part  of  the 
city,  which  was  principally  built  up  by  them  ;  and  their  de- 
scendants, at  the  present  day,  form  the  larger  portion  of  the 
population  of  that  place. 

Governor  Grant  was  the  first  English  governor,  and  was 
a  gentleman  of  much  energy ;  and  during  his  term  of  office 
he  projected  many  great  and  permanent  improvements  in 
the  province.  The  public  roads,  known  as  the  king's  roads, 
from  St.  Augustine  to  New  Smvrna,  and  from  St.  Auijus- 
tine  to  Jacksonville,  and  thence  to  Coleraine,  were  then 
constructed,  and  remain  a  lasting  monument  of  his  wisdom 
and  desire  of  improvement. 

Gov.  Tonyn  succeeded  Gov.  Grant ;  and  a  legislative 
council  was  authorized  to  assemble,  and  the  pretense  and 
tbrms  of  a  constitutional  government  were  gone  through 
with. 

In  August,  1775,  a  British  vessel  called  the  Betsey,  Capt. 
Lofthouse,  from  London,  with  111  barrels  of  powder,  was 
captured  otf  the  bar  of  St.  Augustine,  by  an  American  pri- 
vateer from  Charleston,  very  much  to  the  disgust  and  an- 
noyance of  the  British  authorities. 

At  this  period,  St.  Augustine  assumed  much  importance 
as  a  depot  and  point  cVappui  for  the  British  forces  in  their 
operations  against  the  Southern  States;  and  very  consider- 
abe  forces  were  at  times  assembled. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  99 

In  the  excess  of  the  zeal  and  loyalty  of  the  garrison  and 
inhabitants  of  St.  Augustine,  upon  the  receipt  of  the  news 
of  the  American  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  effigies 
of  John  Hancock  and  Samuel  Adams  were  burned  upon 
the  public  square,  where  the  monument  now  stands. 

The  expedition  of  Gen.  Prevost  against  Savannah  was  or- 
ganized and  embarked  from  St.  Augustine,  in  1779. 

Sixty  of  the  most  distinguished  citizens  of  Carolina  were 
seized  by  the  British  in  1780,  and  transported  to  St.  Augus- 
tine as  prisoners  of  war  and  hostages,  among  whom  were 
Arthur  Middleton,  Edward  Rutledge,  Gen.  Gadsden,  and 
Mr.  Calhoun ;  all  were  put  upon  parole  except  Gen.  Gads- 
den and  Mr.  Calhoun,  who  refused  the  indulgence,  and  were 
committed  to  the  fort,  where  they  remained  many  months 
close  prisoners.  Gen.  Rutherford  and  Col.  Isaacs,  of  North 
Carolina,  were  also  transported  hither,  and  committed  to 
the  fort. 

An  expedition  was  fitted  out  from  St.  Augustine  in  1783, 
to  act  against  New  Providence,  under  Col.  Devereux;  and, 
with  very  slender  means  that  able  officer  succeeded  in  cap- 
turing and  reducing  the  Bahamas,  which  have  ever  since 
remained  under  English  domination. 

The  expense  of  supporting  the  government  of  East 
Florida  during  the  English  occupation,  was  very  consider- 
able, amounting  to  the  sum  of  X122,000.  The  exports  of 
Florida,  in  1778,  amounted  to  X48,000 ;  and  in  1772,  the 
province  exported  40,000  lbs.  indigo ;  and  in  1782,  20,000 
barrels  of  turpentine. 


100  THE   HISTORY   AND   ANTIQUITIES 


CHAPTER     XVI. 

RE-CESSION    OF    FLORIDA    TO    SPAIN— ERECTION    OF    THE 
PARISH  CHURCH— CHANGE  OF  FLAGS.     1783—1821. 

In  June,  1784,  in  fulfillment  of  the  treaty  between 
England  and  Spain,  Florida,  after  twenty  years  of  British 
occupation,  was  re-ceded  to  the  Spanish  Crown,  and  taken 
possession  of  by  Governor  Zespedez. 

The  English  residents,  in  general,  left*  the  country,  and 
went  either  to  the|Bahamas,  Jamaica,  or  the  United  States. 
Those  who  went  to  the  British  islands  were  almost  ruined  ; 
but  those  who  settled  in  the  States  were  more  successful. 

In  April,  1793,  the  present  Roman  Catholic  church  was 
commenced,  the  previous  church  having  been  in  another 
portion  of  the  city. f  It  was  constructed  under  the  direction 
of  Don  Mariana  de  la  Rocque  and  Don  P.  Berrio,  govern- 
ment engineer-officers.  The  cost  of  the  church  was  $16,650, 
of  which  about  $6,000  was  received  from  the  proceeds  of 
the  materials  and  ornaments  of  the  old  churches,  about 
$1,000  from  the  contributions  of  the  inhabitants,  and  the 
remaining  $10,000  furnislied  by  the  government.  One  ot 
its  four  bells  has  the  following  inscription,  showing  it  to  be 
probably  the  oldest  bell  in  this  country,  being  now  185 
years  old. 


^ 


Sancte   Joseph. 

Ora  Pro   Nobis. 
D   1682. 

Don  Enrique  White  was  for  many  years  governor  of  Flor- 
ida, and  died  in  the  city  of  St.  Augustine.  He  is  spoken 
of  by  those  who  knew  him,  in  high  terms,  for  his  integrity 

*  AmoBg  the  families  remaining  were  the  Fatios,  Flemings,  and  a  few 
others, 
f  The  old  parish  church  was  on  St.  George  street,  on  w^st  side  of  the  street. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  101 

and  openness  of  character ;  and  many  amusing  anecdotes 
are  related  connected  with  his  eccentricities. 

In  1812,  the  American  government,  being  apprehensive 
that  Great  Britain  designed  obtaining  possession  of  Florida, 
sent  its  troops  into  the  province,  overrunning  and  destroy- 
ing the  whole  country.  The  manner  and  the  pretenses 
under  which  this  was  done,  reflect  but  little  credit  on  the 
United  States  government;  and  the  transparent  sham  of 
taking  possession  of  the  country  by  the  patriots,  supported 
b}-^  United  States  troops,  was  as  undignified  as  it  was  futile. 
It  is  for  the  damages  occasioned  by  this  invasion,  that  the 
" Florida  claims  "  for  "losses"  of  its  citizens  have  been 
presented  to  the  government  of  the  United  States.  The 
principal  of  the  damages  sustained,  that  is  to  say,  the  actual 
value  of  the  property  then  destroyed,  has  been  allowed  and 
paid ;  but  the  interest,  or  damages  for  the  detention,  has 
been  withheld  upon  the  ground  that  the  government  does 
not  pay  interest.  The  treaty  between  the  United  States 
and  Spain  in  reference  to  the  cession  of  Florida  to  the 
United  States,  requires  the  United  States  to  make  satisfac- 
tion for  such  claims ;  and  the  payment  of  the  bare  amount 
of  actual  loss,  after  a  detention  of  thirty  years,  is  considered 
by  the  claimants  an  inadequate  satisfaction  of  a  just  claim. 

In  the  spring  of  1818,  General  Jackson  made  his  cele- 
brated incursion  into  Florida,  and  by  a  series  of  energetic 
movements  followed  the  Seminoles  and  Creeks  to  their  fast- 
nesses, and  forever  crushed  the  power  of  those  formidable 
tribes  for  offensive  operations. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1817,  a  revolutionary  party  took  pos- 
session of  Amelia  Island,  and  raised  a  soi  disant  patriot  flag 
at  Fernandina,  supported  mainly  in  the  enterprise  by  adven- 
turers from  the  United  States;  M'Gregor  was  assisted  by 
officers  of  the  United  States  army.  An  expedition  was 
sent  from  St.  Augustine  by  the  Spanish  governor  to  eject 
the  invaders,  which  failed.  One  Aury,  an  English  adven- 
turer, for  a  time  held  command  there  ;  and  also  a  Mr.  Hub- 
bard, formerly  sheriff"  of  New  York,  who  was  the  civil  gov- 
ernor, and  died  there.  The  United  States  troops  eventually 
interfered ;  but  negotiations  for  the  cession  put  a  stop  to 
further  hostilities. 

The  king  of  Spain,  finding  his  possessions  in  Florida 
utterly  worthless  to  his  crow^n,  and  only  an  expense  to  sus- 
tain the  garrisons,  while  the  repeated  attempts  to  disturb 
its  political  relations  prevented  any  beneficial  progress 
towards  its  settlement,  gladly  agreed,  in  1819,  to  a  transfer 
of  Florida  to  the  United  States  for  five  millions  of  dollars. 


102  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 

An  Enp^lish  gentleman  who  visited  St.  Augustinein  1817, 
gives  his  impressions  of  the  place  as  follows  :  "  Emerging 
from  the  solitudes  and  shades  of  the  pine  forests,  we  espied 
the  distant  yet  distinct  lights  of  the  watch  towers  of  the 
fortress  of  St.  Augustine,  delightful  beacons  to  my  weary 
pilgrimage.  The  clock  was  striking  ten  as  I  reached  the 
foot  of  the  drawbridge;  the  sentinels  were  passing  the  a^erto, 
as  I  demanded  entrance;  having  answered  the  preliminary 
questions,  the  draw-bridge  was  slowly  lowered.  The  officer 
of  the  guard,  having  received  my  name  and  wishes,  sent  a 
communication  to  the  governor,  who  issued  orders  for  my 
immediate  admission.  On  opening  the  gate,  tbe  guard  was 
ready  to  receive  me ;  and  a  file  of  men,  with  their  officer, 
escorted  me  to  his  Excellency,  who  expressed  his  satisfac- 
tion at  my  revisit  to  Florida.  I  soon  retired  to  the  luxury 
of  repose,  and  the  following  morning  was  greeted  as  an  old 
acquaintance  by  the  members  of  this  little  community. 

"I  had  arrived  at  a  season  of  general  relaxation,  on  the 
eve  of  the  carnival,  which  is  celebrated  w^ith  much  gayety 
in  all  Catholic  countries.  Masks,  dominoes,  harlequins, 
Punchinellos,  and  a  great  variety  of  grotesqe  disguises,  on 
horseback,  in  cars,  gigs,  and  on  foot,  paraded  the  streets 
with  guitars,  violins,  and  other  instruments;  and  in  the 
evenings,  the  houses  were  open  to  receive  masks,  and  balls 
were  given  in  every  direction.  I  was  told  that  in  their 
better  days,  w^hen  their  pay  was  regularly  remitted  from  the 
Havana,  these  amusements  were  admirably  conducted,  and 
the  rich  dresses  exhibited  on  these  occasions,  were  not 
eclipsed  by  their  more  fashionable  friends  in  Cuba;  but 
poverty  had  lessoned  their  spirit  for  enjoyment,  as  well  as 
the  means  for  procuring  it;  enough,  however,  remained  to 
amuse  an  idle  spectator,  and  I  entered  with  alacrity  into 
their  diversions. 

"About  thirty  of  the  hunting  warriors  of  the  Seminoles, 
with  their  squaws,  had  arrived,  for  the  purpose  of  selling 
the  produce  of  the  chase,  consisting  of  bear,  deer,  tiger,  and 
other  skins,  bears'  grease,  and  other  trifling  articles.  This 
savage  race,  once  the  lords  of  the  ascendant,  are  the  most 
formidable  border  enemies  of  the  United  States.  This 
party  had  arrived,  after  a  range  of  six  months,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  sale  and  barter.  After  trafficking  for  their  com- 
modities, they  were  seen  at  various  parts  of  the  town, 
assembled  in  small  groups,  seated  upon  their  haunches,  like 
monkeys,  passing  round  their  bottles  of  aquc  dcnic  (the  rum 
of  Cuba),    their   repeated   draughts   upon  which  soon  ex- 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  103 

haustcd  their  contents  ;  tliey  then  slept  off  the  effects  of  in- 
toxication, under  the  walls,  exposed  to  the  influence  of  the 
sun.  Their  appearance  was  extremely  wretched ;  their 
skins  of  a  dark,  dirtv,  chocolate  color,  with  long,  straight, 
black  hair,  over  which  they  had  spread  a  quantity  of  bears' 
grease.  In  their  ears,  and  the  cartilages  of  the  nose,  were  in- 
serted rings  of  silver  and  brass,  with  pendants  of  various 
shapes  ;  their  features  prominent  and  harsh,  and  their  eyes 
had  a  wild  and  ferocious  expression. 

"A  torn  blanket,  or  an  ill-fiishioned  dirty  linen  jacket,  is 
the  general  costume  of  these  Indians ;  a  triangular  piece  of 
cloth  passes  around  the  loins ;  the  women  vary  in  their 
apparel  by  merely  wearing  short  petticoats,  the  original 
colors  of  which  were  not  distinguishable  from  the  various 
incrustations  of  dirt.  Some  of  the  young  squaws  were  tol- 
erably agreeable,  and  if  well  washed  and  dressed  would  not 
have  been  uninteresting ;  but  the  elder  squaws  wore  the  air 
of  misery  and  debasement. 

"  The  garrison  is  composed  of  a  detachment  from  the 
Royal  regiment  of  Cuba,  with  some  black  troops ;  who 
together  form  a  respectable  force.  The  fort  and  bastions 
are  built  of  the  same  material  as  the  houses  of  the  town, 
coquina.  This  marine  substance  is  superior  to  stone,  not 
being  liable  to  splinter  from  the  effects  of  bombardment ; 
it  receives  and  imbeds  the  shot,  which  adds  rather-  than  de- 
tracts from  its  strength  and  security. 

"The  houses  and  the  rear  of  the  town  are  intersected  and 
covered  with  orange  groves ;  their  golden  fruit  and  deep 
green  foliage,  not  only  render  the  air  agreeable,  but 
beautify  the  appearance  of  this  interesting  little  town,  in 
the  centre  of  which  (the  square)  rises  a  large  structure  dedi- 
cated to  the  Catholic  religion.  At  the  upper  end  are  the 
remains  of  a  very  considerable  house,  the  former  residence 
of  the  governor  of  this  settlement ;  but  now  (1817),  in  a 
state  of  dilapidation  and  decay,  from  age  and  inattention. 

"At  the  southern  extremity  of  the  town  stands  a  large 
building,  formerly  a  monastery  of  Carthusian  Friars,  but 
now  occupied  as  a  barrack  for  the  troops  of  the  garrison. 
At  a  little  distance  are  four  stacks  of  chimnies,  the  sole  re- 
mains of  a  beautiful  rans-e  of  barracks,  built  during  the  oc- 
cupancy  of  the  British,  from  1763  to  1783  ;  for  three  years 
the  29th  regiment  was  stationed  there,  and  in  that  time  they 
did  not  lose  a  single  man.  The  proverbial  salubrity  of  the 
climate,  has  obtained  for  St.  Augustine  the  designation  of 
the  Montpelier  of  North  America;  indeed,  such  is  the  gene- 
ral character  of  the  Province  of  East  Florida. 


104  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 

"  The  governor  (Copiiiger),  is  about  forty-five  years  of 
age,  of  active  and  vigorous  mind,  anxious  to  promote'by 
every  means  in  his  power  the  prosperity  of  the  province 
confided  to  his  command ;  his  urbanity  and  other  amiable 
qualities  render  him  accessible  to  the  meanest  individual, 
and  justice  is  sure  to  follow  an  appeal  to  his  decision.  His 
military  talents  are  well  known,  and  appreciated  by  his 
sovereign  ;  and  he  now  holds,  in  addition  to  the  govern- 
ment of  East  Florida,  the  rank  of  Colonel  in  the  Koyal 
Regiment  of  Cuba. 

"  The  clergy  consist  of  the  padre  (priest  of  the  parish), 
Father  Cosby,  a  native  of  Wexford,  in  Ireland;  a  Francis- 
can friar,  the  chaplain  to  the  garrison,  and  an  inferior  or 
cure.  The  social  qualities  of  the  padre,  and  the  general 
tolerance  of  his  feelings,  render  him  an  acceptable  visitor 
to  all  his  flock.  The  judge,  treasurer,  collector,  and 
notary,  are  the  principal  officers  of  the  establishment,  be- 
sides a  number  of  those  devoted  solely  to  the  military  occu- 
pations of  the  garrison.  The  whole  of  this  society  is 
extremely  courteous  to  strangers ;  they  form  one  family, 
and  those  little  jealousies  and  animosities,  so  disgraceful  to 
our  small  English  communities,  do  not  sully  their  meetings 
of  friendly  chit-chat,  called  as  in  Spain,  turiidias.  The 
women  are  deservedly  celebrated  for  their  charms ;  their 
lovely  black  CA^es  have  a  vast  deal  of  expression  ;  their  com- 
plexions a  clear  brunette;  much  attention  is  paid  to  the  ar- 
rangement of  their  hair;  at  mass  they  are  always  well 
dressed  in  black  silk  basquinas  (petticoats),  with  the  little 
mantilla  (black  lace  veil)  over  their  heads ;  the  men  in  their 
military  costumes ;  good  order  and  temperance  are  their 
characteristic  virtues ;  but  the  vice  of  gambling  too  often 
profanes  their  social  haunts,  from  which  even  the  fair  sex 
are  not  excluded.  Two  days  following  our  arrival,  a  ball 
was  given  by  some  of  the  inhabitants,  to  which  I  was 
invited.  The  elder  couples  opened  it  with  minuets,  suc- 
ceeded by  the  younger  couples  displaying  their  handsome 
light  figures  in  Spanish  dances."* 

The  old  inhabitants  still  speak  in  terms  of  fond  regret  of 
the  place  when  embowered  in  its  orange  groves,  and  the 
pleasantness  of  its  old  customs  and  usages.  Dancing 
formed  one  of  their  most  common  amusements,  as  it  does 
now.  The  posey  dance,  now  become  obsolete,  was  then  of 
almost  daily  occurrence,  and  was  introduced  in  the  follow- 
ing manner:  The  females  of  the  family  erect  in  a  room  of 

*  Voyage  to  Spanish  Main.     London,  1819.     Page  116,  et  seq. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  105 

'■.  their  house  a  neat  little  arbor,  dressed  with  pots  and  gar- 
^  lands  of  flowers,  and  lit  up  brightly  with  candles.  This  is 
.'  understood  by  the  gentleman  as  an  invitation  to  drop  in  and 
I  admire  the  beauty  of  their  decorations.  In  the  mean  time, 
^'  the  lady  Avho  has  prepared  it,  selects  a  partner  from  among 
i  her  visitors,  and  in  token  of  her  preference,  honors  him 
;•  with  a  bouquet  of  flowers.  The  gentleman  who  receives 
:'  the  bouquet  becomes  then,  for  the  nonce,  king  of  the  ball, 
and  leads  out  the  fair  donor  as  queen  of  the  dance ;  the 
others  take  partners,  and  the  ball  is  thus  inaugurated,  and 
may  continue  several  successive  evenings.  Should  the 
lady's  choice  fall  upon  an  unwilling  swain,  which  seldom 
liappened,  he  could  be  excused  by  assuming  the  expenses 
of  the  entertainment.  These  assemblies  were  always  in- 
formal, and  frequented  by  all  classes,  all  meeting  on  a  level; 
but  were  conducted  with  the  utmost  politeness  and  decorum, 
for  which  the  Spanish  character  is  so  distinguished. 

The  carnival  amusements  are  still  kept  up  to  some  extent, 
but  with  little  of  the  taste  and  wit  which  formerly  charac- 
terized them,  and  without  which  they  degenerate  into  mere 
buflfoonery. 

The  graceful  Sj^anish  dance,  so  well  suited  in  its  slow  and 
regular  movements  to  the  inhabitants  of  a  warm  climate, 
has  always  retained  the  preference  with  the  natives  of  the 
|)lace,  who  dance  it  with  that  native  grace  and  elegance  of 
movement  which  seems  easy  and  natural  for  every  one,  but 
is  seldom  equaled  by  the  Anglo-Saxon. 


106  THE   HISTORY   AND   ANTIQFITIES 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

TRANSFER  OF  FLORIDA  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES— AMERICAN 
OCCUPATION— ANCIENT  BUILDINGS,  Etc. 

On  the  10th  da}^  of  July,  in  the  year  1821,  the  standard 
of  Spain,  which  had  been  raised  two  hundred  and  iifty-six 
years  before  over  St.  Augustine,  was  finally  lowered  forever 
from  the  walls  over  which  it  had  so  long  fluttered,  and  the 
stars  and  stripes  of  the  youngest  of  nations  rose  where, 
sooner  or  later,  the  hand  of  destiny  would  assuredly  have 
placed  them. 

It  was  intended  that  the  chan£:e  of  flao;s  should  have 
taken  place  on  the  4th  of  July  ;  owing  to  a  detention,  this 
this  was  frustrated ;  but  the  inhabitants  celebrated  the  4tli 
with  a  handsome  public  ball  at  the  governor's  house. 

The  Spanish  garrison,  and  officers  connected  with  it,  re- 
turned to  Cuba,  and  some  of  the  Spanish  families;  but  the 
larger  portion  of  the  inhabitants  remained.  A  considera- 
ble influx  of  inhabitants  from  the  adjoining  States  took 
place,  and  the  town  speedily  assumed  a  somewhat  American 
character.  The  proportion  of  American  population  since 
the  change  of  flags,  has  been  about  one-third.  Most  of  the 
native  inhabitants  converse  with  equal  fluency  in  either 
lan2;uac;e. 

In  the  year  1823,  the  legislative  council  of  Florida  held 
its  second  session  in  the  government  house  at  St.  Augus- 
tine. Governor  W.  P.  Duval  was  the  first  governor  after 
the  organization  of  the  territory.  The  Ralph  Ringwood 
Sketches  of  Irvins-'have  given  a  wide  celebrity  to  the  char- 
acter  of  our  worthy  and  original  first  governor,  now  re- 
cently deceased. 

During  the  month  of  February,  1835,  East  Florida 
was  visited  bv  a  frost  much  more  severe  than  any  before 
experienced.  A  severe  northwest  wind  blew  ten  days  in 
succession,  but  more  violently  for  about  three  days.  During 
this  period,  the  mercur}^  sunk  to  seven  degrees  above  zero. 
The  St.  Johns  river  was  frozen  several  rods  from  the  shore. 
All  kinds  of  fruit  trees  were  killed  to  the  ground  ;  many  of 
them  never  started  again,  even  from  the  roots.     The  wild 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  107 


groves  suffered  equally  with  those  cultivated.  The  orange 
had  become  the  staple  of  Florida  commerce  ;  several  mil- 
lioDS  were  exported  from  the  St.  Johns  and  St.  Augustine 
during  the  two  previous  years.  Numerous  groves  had  just 
been  planted  out,  and  extensive  nurseries  could  hardly  sup- 
ply the  demand  for  young  trees.  Some  of  the  groves  had, 
during  the  previous  autumn,  brought  to  their  owners,  one, 
two,  and  three  thousand  dollars ;  and  the  increasing  de- 
mand for  this  fruit,  opened  in  prospect  mines  of  wealth  to 
the  inhabitants. 

"  Then  came  a  frost,  a  withering  frost." 

Some  of  the  orange  groves  in  East  Florida  were  estimated 
at  from  five  to  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  even  more.  They 
were  at  once  rendered  valueless.  The  larger  part  of  the 
population  at  St.  Augustine  had  been  accustomed  to  de- 
pend on  the  produce  of  their  little  groves  of  eight  or  ten 
trees,  to  purchase  their  coffee,  sugar,  and  other  necessaries 
from  the  stores;  they  were  left  without  resource. 

"The  town  of  St.  Augustine,  that  heretofore  appeared 
like  a  rustic  village,  their  white  houses  peeping  from  among 
the  clustered  boughs  and  golden  fruit  of  their  favorite  tree, 
beneath  whose  shade  the  foreign  invalid  cooled  his  fevered 
limbs,  and  imbibed  health  from  the  fragrant  air, — how  was 
she  fallen  !  Dry,  unsightly  poles,  with  ragged  bark,  stick 
up  around  her  dwellings  ;  and  where  the  mocking-bird  once 
delighted  to  build  her  nest,  and  tune  her  lovely  songs,  owls 
hoot  at  night,  and  sterile  winds  whistle  through  the  leafless 
branches.     Never  was  a  place  rendered  more  desolate."* 

The  groves  were  at  once  replanted,  and  soon  bid  fair  to 
yield  most  abundantly ;  when,  in  1842,  an  insect  was  intro- 
duced into  the  country,  called  the  orange  coccus,  which 
spread  over  the  whole  country  with  wonderful  rapidity,  and 
almost  totally  destroyed  every  tree  it  fastened  upon.  Of 
late,  the  ravages  of  this  insect  seem  less  destructive,  and 
the  groves  have  begun  to  resume  their  bearing  ;  these  add 
to  the  beauty  of  the  residences  at  St.  Augustine,  with  their 
glossy,  deep-green  leaves,  and  golden  fruit ;  and  hopes  of 
an  entire  restoration  are  now  confidently  entertained. 

In  December,  1835,  the  war  with  the  Seminole  Indians 
broke  out ;  and  for  some  years  St.  Augustine  was  full  of 
the  pomp  and  circumstance  of  war.  It  was  dangerous  to 
venture  beyond  the  gates ;  and  many  sad  scenes  of  Indian 
massacre  took  place  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  city.     Dur- 


*  Williams'  Florida,  pp.  18,  et  seq. 


108  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 

ing  this  period,  great  apparent  prosperity  prevailed ;  prop- 
erty was  valuable,  rents  were  high  ;  speculators  projected 
one  city  on  the  north  of  the  town,  and  another  on  the  west ; 
a  canal  to  the  St.  Johns,  and  also  a  railroad  to  Picolata ; 
and  great  hopes  of  future  prosperity  were  entertained. 
With  the  cessation  of  the  war,  the  importance  of  St.  Au- 
gustine diminished  ;  younger  communities  took  the  lead  of 
it,  aided  by  superior  advantages  of  location,  and  greater 
enterprise,  and  St.  Augustine  has  subsided  into  the  pleasant, 
quiet,  dolce  far  niente  of  to-day,  living  upon  its  old  memo- 
ries, contented,  peaceful,  and  agreeable,  and  likely  to  re- 
main without  much  change  for  the  future. 

Of  the  public  buildings,  it  may  be  remarked  that  the 
extensive  British  barracks  were  destroyed  by  fire  in  1792  ; 
and  that  the  Franciscan  Convent  was  occupied  as  it  had 
been  before,  as  barracks  for  the  troops  not  in  garrison  in 
the  fort.  The  appearance  of  these  buildings  has  been  much 
changed  by  the  extensive  repairs  and  alterations  made  by 
the  United  States  government.  It  had  formerly  a  large 
circular  look-out  upon  the  top,  from  which  a  beautiful  view 
of  the  surrounding  country  was  obtained.  Its  walls  are 
probably  the  oldest  foundations  in  the  city. 

The  present  United  States  Court-house,  now  occupied  by 
many  public  offices,  was  the  residence  of  the  Spanish  gov- 
ernors. It  has  been  rebuilt  by  the  United  States  ;  and  'its 
former  quaint  and  interesting  appearance  has  been  lost,  in 
removing  its  look-out  tower,  and  balconies,  and  the  hand- 
some gateway,  mentioned  by  De  Brahm,  which  is  said  to 
have  been  a  fine  specimen  of  Doric  architecture.* 

Trinity  Episcopal  Church  was  commenced  in  1827,  and 
consecrated  in  1833,  by  Bishop  Bowen,  of  South  Carolina. 
The  Presbyterian  Church  was  built  about  1830,  and  the 
Methodist  chapel  about  1846. 

The  venerable-looking  building  on  the  bay,  at  the  corner 
of  Green  lane  and  Bay  street,  is  considered  the  oldest  build- 
ing in  the  place,  and  has  evidently  been  a  fine  building  in 
its  day.  It  was  the  residence  of  the  attorncN'-general,  in 
English  times. 

The  monument  on  the  public  square  was  erected  in  1812- 
13,  upon  the  information  of  the  adoption  of  the  Spanish 
constitution,  as  a  memorial  of  that  event,  in  pursuance  of 
a  royal  order  to  that  efl'ect,  directed  to  the  public  authori- 
ties of  all  the  provincial  towns.     Geronimo  Alvarez  was 

*It  is  said  to  have  been  taken  down  by  the  contractor,  to  form  the 
foundation  of  his  kitchen. 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  109 

the  Alcalde  under  whose  direction  it  was  erected.  The 
plan  of  it  was  made  by  Sr.  Hernandez,  the  father  of  the 
late  General  Ilernandez  A  short  time  after  it  was  put  up, 
the  Spanish  constitution  having  had  a  downfall,  orders 
were  issued  bv  the  orovernment  that  all  the  monuments 
erected  to  the  constitution  throughout  its  dominions,  should 
be  demolished.  The  citizens  of  St.  Augustine  were  un- 
willing to  see  their  monument  torn  down  ;  and  with  the 
passive  acquiescence  of  the  governor,  the  marble  tablets 
inscribed  Plaza  de  la  Constitucion  being  removed,  the 
monument  itself  was  allowed  to  stand;  and  thus  it  remains 
to  this  day,  the  only  monument  in  existence  to  commemo- 
rate the  farce  of  the  constitution  of  1812.  In  1818,  the 
tablets  were  restored  without  objection. 
^.  The  bridge  and  causeway  are  the  work  of  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States.  The  present  sea-wall  was  built 
between  1835  and  1842,  by  the  United  States,  at  an  expense 
of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 


110  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

PRESENT  APPEARANCE   OF   ST.  AUGUSTINE,   AS  GIVEN  BY 
THE  AUTHOR    OF    THANATOPSIS— ITS    CLIMATE  AND 

SALUBRITY. 

St.  Augustine  has  now  attained,  for  this  side  of  the  Atlan- 
tic, a  period  of  most  respectable  antiquity.  In  a  country  like 
America,  where  States  are  ushered  into  existence  in  the  full 
development  of  maturity,  where  large  cities  rise  like  magic 
from  the  rude  forest,  where  the  "oldest  inhabitant"  recol- 
lects the  cutting  down  of  the  lofty  elms  which  shadowed  the 
wigwam  of  the  red  man,  perchance  on  some  spot  now  in  the 
heart  of  a  great  city ;  an  antiquity  of  three  centuries  would 
be  esteemed  as  almost  reaching  back  (compared  with  mod- 
ern growth)  to  the  days  of  the  Pharaohs. 

The  larger  number  of  early  settlements  were  unsuitably 
located,  and  were  forced  to  be  abandoned  on  account  of 
their  unhealthiness;  but  the  Spanish  settlement  at  St.  Au- 
gustine has  remained  for  near  three  hundred  years  where  it 
was  origiually  planted;  and  the  health  of  its  inhabitants 
has,  for  this  long  period,  given  it  a  deserved  reputation  for 
salubrity  and  exemption  from  disease,  attributable  to  lo- 
cality or  extraneous  influences  or  causes. 

The  great  age  attained  by  its  inhabitants  was  remarked 
by  De  Brahm ;  the  number  and  healthfulness  of  the  chil- 
dren that  throng  its  streets,  attract  now,  as  thej'  did  then, 
the  attention  of  strangers.  This  salubrity  is  easily  accounted 
for,  by  the  almost  insular  position  of  the  city,  upon  a  narrow 
neck  of  land  nearly  surrounded  by  salt  water;  the  main 
shore,  a  high  and  healthy  pine  forest  and  sandy  plains,  so 
jiear  the  ocean  as  to  be  fanned  by  its  constant  breezes,  and 
within  the  sound  of  its  echoing  waves;  a  situation  combin- 
ing more  local  advantages  for  salubrity  could  hardly  be  im- 
agined. While  it  will  never  probably  increase  to  any  great 
extent  in  population,  it  will  hardly  lie  likely  to  decrease.  Its 
health,  easy  means  of  support,  unambitious  class  of  inhabi- 
tants, with  their  strong  attachments  and  family  and  local 
ties,  will  contribute  to  maintain  St.  Augustine  as  the  time- 
honored  ancient  city,  with  its  permanent  population,  and 
its  visitors  for  health,  for  centuries  perhaps  yet  to  come. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  Ill 

I  cannot  perhaps  better  conclude  these  historic  notices 
than  by  giving  the  impressions  of  the  author  of  Tlianatop- 
ais,*  one  whose  poetic  fame  will  endure  as  long  as  American 
literature  exists.  Writing  from  St.  Augustine  in  April, 
1843,  he  says  : 

"At  length  wc  emerged  upon  a  shrubby  plain,  and  finally 
came  in  sight  of  this  oldest  city  of  the  United  States,  seated 
among  its  trees  on  a  sandy  swell  of  land,  where  it  has  stood 
for  three  hundred  years.  I  was  struck  with  its  ancient  and 
homel}'  aspect,  even  at  a  distance,  and  could  not  help  liken- 
ing it  to  pictures  which  I  had  seen  of  Dutch  towns,  though 
it  wanted  a  wind-mill  or  two  to  make  the  resemblance  per- 
fect. We  drove  into  a  green  square,  in  the  midst  of  which 
was  a  monument  erected  to  commemorate  the  Spanish 
constitution  of  1812,  and  thence  through  the  narrow  streets 
of  the  city  to  our  hotel. 

"•  I  have  called  the  streets  narrow.  In  few  places  are  they 
wide  enough  to  allow  two  carriages  to  pass  abreast.  I  was 
told  that  they  were  not  originally  intended  for  carriages  ;  and 
that  in  the  time  when  the  town  belonged  to  Spain,  many  of 
them  were  floored  with  an  artificial  stone,  composed  of 
shells  and  mortar,  which  in  this  climate  takes  and  keeps  the 
hardness  of  rock;  and  that  no  other  vehicle  than  a  hand- 
barrow  was  allowed  to  pass  over  them.  In  some  places  you 
see  remnants  of  this  ancient  pavement;  but  for  the  most 
part  it  has  been  ground  into  dust  under  the  wheels  of  the 
carts  and  carriages  introduced  by  the  new  inhabitants.  The 
old  houses,  built  of  a  kind  of  stone  which  is  seemingly  a 
pure  concretion  of  small  shells,  overhang  the  streets  with 
their  wooden  balconies ;  and  the  gardens  between  the 
houses  are  fenced  on  the  side  of  the  street  with  high  walls 
of  stone.  Peeping  over  these  walls  you  see  branches  of  the 
pomegranate,  and  of  the  orange-tree  now  fragrant  with 
tlowers,  and  rising  j-et  higher,  the  leaning  boughs  of  the  fig 
with  its  broad  luxuriant  leaves.  Occasionally  you  pass  the 
ruins  of  houses — walls  of  stone  with  arches  and  stair-cases 
of  the  same  material,  which  once  belonged  to  stately  dwell- 
ings. You  meet  in  the  streets  with  men  of  swarthy  com- 
plexions and  foreign  physiognomy,  and  you  hear  them 
speaking  to  each  other  in  a  strange  language.  You  are  told 
that  these  are  the  remains  of  those  who  inhabited  the 
country  under  the  Spanish  dominion,  and  that  the  dialect 
you  have  heard  is  that  of  the  island  of  Minorca. 

*  Brvant. 


112  THE   HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

"'Twelve  years  ago,'  said  an  acquaintance  of  mine, 
'when  I  first  visited  St.  Augustine,  it  was  a  fine  old  Span- 
ish town,  A  large  proportion  of  the  houses  which  you  now 
see  roofed  like  barns,  where  then  flat-roofed;  they  were  all 
of  shell  rock,  and  these  modern  wooden  buildings  were 
then  not  erected.  That  old  fort  which  they  are  now  repair- 
ing, to  fit  it  for  receiving  a  garrison,  was  a  sort  of  ruin,  for 
the  outworks  had  partly  fallen,  and  it  stood  unoccupied  by 
the  military,  a  venerable  monument  of  the  Spanish  domin- 
ion. But  the  orange-groves  were  the  wealth  and  ornament 
of  St.  Augustine,  and  their  produce  maintained  the  inhabi- 
tarits  in  comfort.  Orange-trees  of  the  size  and  height  oi" 
the  pear-tree,  often  rising  higher  than  tne  roofs  of  the 
houses,  embowered  the  town  in  perpetual  verdure.  They 
stood  so  close  in  the  groves  that  they  excluded  the  sun  ;  and 
the  atmosphere  was  at  all  times  aromatic  with  their  leaves 
and  fruit,  and  in  spring  the  fragrance  of  the  flowers  was  al- 
most oppressive.' 

"  The  old  fort  of  St.  Mark,  now  called  Fort  Marion — a 
foolish  change  of  name — is  a  noble  work,  frowning  over  the 
Mantanzas,  which  flows  between  St.  Augustine  and  the 
island  of  Anastasia ;  and  it  is  worth  making  a  long  journey 
to  see.  Ko  record  remains  of  its  original  construction  ;  but 
it  is  supposed  to  have  been  erected  about  a  hundred  and 
fifty  years  since,*  and  the  shell  rock  of  which  it  is  built  is 
dark  with  time.  AVe  saw  where  it  had  been  struck  with 
cannon  balls,  which,  instead  of  splitting  the  rock,  became 
imbedded  and  clogged  among  the  loosened  fragments  of 
shell.  This  rock  is  therefore  one  of  the  best  materials  for 
fortification  in  the  world.  AVe  were  taken  into  the  ancient 
prisons  of  the  fort-dungeons,  one  of  which  was  dimly 
lighted  by  a  grated  window,  and  another  entirely  without 
light;  and  by  the  flame  of  a  torch  we  were  shown  the  half 
obliterated  inscriptions  scrawled  on  the  walls  long  ago  by 
prisoners.  But  in  another  corner  of  the  fort,  we  were  taken 
to  look  at  the  secret  cells,  which  were  discovered  a  few 
years  since  in  consequence  of  the  sinking  of  the  earth  over 
a  narrow  apartment  between  them.  These  cells  are  deep 
under  ground,  vaulted  over-head,  and  without  windows. 
In  one  of  them  a  wooden  machine  was  found,  which  some 
supposed  might  have  been  a  rack,  and  in  the  other  a  quan- 
tity of  human  bones.  The  doors  of  these  cells  had  been 
walled  up  and  concealed  with  stucco,  before  the  fort  passed 
into  the  hands  of  the  Americans. 

*  It  is  much  more  ancient. 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  113 

"  You  cannot  be  in  St.  Augustine  a  day  without  liearing 
f^ome  of  its  inhabitants  speak  of  its  agreeable  climate. 
During  the  sixteen  days  of  my  residence  here,  the  weather 
has  certain!}^  been  as  delightful  as  I  could  imagine.  "We 
have  the  temperature  of  early  June  as  June  is  known  in 
iSTew  York.  The  mornings  are  sometimes  a  little  sultry ; 
but  after  two  or  three  hours  a  fresh  breeze  comes  in  from 
the  sea  sweeping  through  the  broad  piazzas,  and  breathing 
in  at  the  windows.  At  this  season  it  comes  laden  with  the 
iVagrance  of  the  flowers  of  the  Pride  of  India,  and  sometimes  of 
the  orange  tree,  and  sometimes  brings  the  scent  of  roses,  now 
in  bloom.  Thenis^hts  are  gratefully  cool;  and  I  have  been  told 
bv  a  person  who  has  lived  here  many  years,  that  there  are  very 
few  nights  in  summer  when  you  can  sleep  without  a  blanket. 

"  An  acquaintance  of  mine,  an  invalid,  who  has  tried 
various  climates,  and  has  kept  up  a  kind  of  running  tight 
with  death  for  many  years,  retreating  from  country  to 
country  as  he  pursued,  declares  to  me  that  the  winter  cli- 
mate of  St.  Augustine  is  to  be  preferred  to  that  of  any  part 
of  Europe,  even  that  of  Sicily,  and  that  it  is  better  than 
the  climate  of  the  AVest  Indies.  He  finds  it  s^enial  and 
equable,  at  the  same  time  that  it  is  not  enfeebling.  The 
summer  heats  are  prevented  from  being  intense  by  the  sea- 
breeze,  of  which  I  have  spoken.  I  have  looked  over  the 
work  of  Dr.  Forry  on  the  climate  of  the  United  States,  and 
liave  been  surprised  to  see  the  uniformity  of  climate  which 
lie  ascribes  to  Key  West.  As  appears  by  the  observations 
lie  has  collected,  the  seasons  at  that  place  glide  into  each 
other  by  the  softest  gradations  ;  and  the  heat  never,  even  in 
midsummer,  reaches  that  extreme  which  is  felt  in  the 
higher  latitudes  of  the  American  continent.  The  climate  of 
Florida  is,  in  fact,  an  insular  climate :  the  Atlantic  on  the 
cast,  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  on  the  west,  temper  the  airs 
that  blow  over  it,  making  them  cooler  in  summer  and 
warmer  in  winter,  I  do  not  wonder,  therefore,  that  it  is  so 
much  the  resort  of  invalids ;  it  would  be  more  so  if  the 
softness  of  its  atmosphere,  and  the  beauty  and  serenity  of 
its  seasons  were  generally  known.  Nor  should  it  be  sup- 
posed that  accommodations  for  persons  in  delicate  health  are 
wanting;  they  are,  in  fact,  becoming  better  with  every  year, 
as  the  demand  for  them  increases.  Among  the  acquaint- 
ances whom  I  have  made  here,  I  remember  many  who 
having  come  hither  for  the  benefit  of  their  health,  are 
detained  for  life  by  the  amenity  of  the  climate.  'It  seems 
to  me,'  said  an  intelligent  gentleman  of  this  class,  the  other 
8 


114  THE    HISTORY    AND    ANTIQUITIES 

(lay,  '  as  if  I  could  not  exist  out  of  Florida.  When  I  g'O  to 
the  north,  I  feel  most  sensibly  the  severe  extremes  of  the 
weather  ;  the  climate  of  Charleston  itself  appears  harsh  to 
me.' 

"The  negroes  of  St.  Augustine  are  a  good-looking  speci- 
men of  the  race,  and  have  the  appearance  of  being  very 
well  treated.  You  rarelj^  see  a  negro  in  ragged  clothing ; 
and  the  colored  children,  though  slaves,  are  often  dressed 
with  great  neatness.  In  the  colored  people  whom  I  saw  in 
the  Catholic  church,  I  remarked  a  more  agreeable,  open, 
and  gentle  physiogomy  than  I  have  been  accustomed  to  see 
in  that  class. 

"  Some  old  customs  which  the  Minorcans  brought  with 
them  from  their  native  country,  are  still  kept  up.  On  the 
evening  before  Easter  Sunday,  about  eleven  o'clock,  I  heard 
the  sound  of  a  serenade  in  the  streets.  Going  out,  I  found 
ii  part}'  of  young  men  with  instruments  of  music,  grouped 
about  the  window  of  one  of  the  dwellings,  singino;  a  hvmn 
in  honor  of  the  Virijin  *  in  the  Mahonese  dialect.  Thev  be- 
gan,  as  I  was  told,  with  tapping  on  the  shutter.  An  an- 
Hwering  knock  within  had  told  them  that  their  visit  was 
welcome,  and  thev  immediately  bes-an  the  serenade.  If  no 
reply  had  been  heard,  they  would  have  passed  on  to  another 
dwelling.  I  give  the  hymn  as  it  was  kindly  taken  aown 
for  me  in  writing,  by  a  native  of  St  Augustine,  I  presume 
this  is  the  first  time  that  it  has  been  put  in  print;  but  I  fear 
the  copy  has  several  corruptions,  occasioned  by  the  unskill- 
iulness  of  the  copyist.  The  letter  e,  which  I  have  put 
in  italics,  represents  the  guttural  French  e,  or,  perhaps, 
more  nearlv  the  sound  of  the  u  in  the  word  but.  The  sh 
of  our  language  is  rcpresent/cd  by  sc  followed  by  an  i  or  an 
f\  the  ^,  both  hard  and  soft,  has  the  same  sound  as  in  our 
language. 

"  '  Disciarsm  In  dol 
jCantaiYiii  aub'  alagria 
Y  n'arcm  a  da 
Las  pascuas  a  Maria 

0  31  aria! 
"  '  Sant  Grabiel, 
Qui  portaba  la  anibasciado 
Des  noptro  rey  del  eel, 
Estaran  vos  prenada 
Ya  omitiada 
Tu  o  vais  aqui  survonta 
Fia  del  Diou  contenta 
Para  fe  lo  quo  c\  vol 

l)isciarciii  lu  dol,  &c. 

*  This  song  is  usually  called  the  Froinajurdis. 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  115 


"  '  Y  a  niilla  nit 
Pariguero  vos  regina 
A  uii  Dieu  infinit, 
Dintra  una  establina. 

Y  a  milla  dia, 

Que  los  angles  voii  cantant 

Pau  y  abondant 

Dc  la  gloria  do  Dieu  sol 

Disciarcm  lu  del,  «S:c. 

"  '  Y  a  Libalam. 

Alia  la  terra  santa 

Is' us  nat  Jesus 

Aub'  alagria  tanta 

Infant  petit 

Que  tot  lu  mon  salvaria 

Y  ningu  y  bastaria 
Nu  mes  un  Dieu  tot  sul 

Disoiarfui  lu  dol,  &c. 

"  '  Cuant  de  Orion  lus 
Tres  reys  la  stralla  veran 
Dieu  omnipotent 
Adora  lo  vingaran 
Un  present  inferan 
De  mil  encens  y  or 
A  lu  beneit  seno 
Que  conesce  cual  se  vol 

Disciarem  lu  dol,  &e. 

"  '  Tot  fu  gayant 
Para  cumple  la  prumas 

Y  lu  Esperit  sant 

De  un  angel  fau  gramas 
Gran  foe  ences, 
.Que  crama  lu  curagia 
Dieu  nos  da  lenguagia 
Para  fe  lo  que  Dieu  vol 

Disciarcm  lu  dol,  &.c. 

"  '  Cuant  trespasa 

De  quest  mon  nostra  Senora 

AI  eel  s'  empugia 

Sun  fil  la  matescia  ora 

O  !   Eniperadora 

Que  del  eel  san  eligida 

Lu  rosa  florida 

Me  resplenden  que  un  sol 

Disciarem  lu  dol,  &c. 

"  '  Y  el  tercer  giorn 
Que  Jesus  resunta 
Dieu  y  Aboroma 
Que  la  mort  triumfa 
De  alii  so  balla 
Para  perldra  Lucife 
An  tot  a  sen  penda 
Que  de  nostro  scr  el  sol 

Disciarem  lu  dol,  &c.' 


116  THE    HISTORY   AND    ANTIQUITIES 

"  After  this  hymn,  the  following  stanzas,  soliciting  the 
customary  gift  of  cakes  or  eggs,  are  sung : — 

"  '  Ce  set  que  vam  cantant, 
Regina  celestial  ! 
Damos  pan  y  alagria 

Y  boiias  festas  tingan 

Y  vos  da  sus  bonas  festas 
Danos  dines  de  sus  nous 
Sempre  tarem  lus  neans  Uestas 
Para  recibi  un  grapat  de  nes, 

Y  tl  giorn  de  jiascua  florida 
Alagranios  y  giuntament 

As  qui  fs  laurt  par  dar  nos  vid:t 

Y  via  glorosiamcnte, 

A  questa  casa  esta  empedrada 
Bien  halla  que  la  empedru  ; 
iSan  ariio  de  aquesta  casa 
Baldria  duua  un  do 
Formagiado  o  empanada 
Cucutta  a  flao  ; 
Cual  so  val  casa  rue  grada, 
Sol  que  IK)  rue  digas  que  no.' 

"  The  shutters  are  then  opened  hj  the  people  within,  and 
a  supply  of  cheese,  cakes  or  other  pastry,  or  eggs,  is 
dropped  into  a  bag  carried  by  one  of  the  party ;  who  ac- 
knowledge the  gift  in  the  following  lines,  and  then  depart : — 

"  'Aquesta  casa  rcta  empedrada 
Empedrada  de  cuatro  vens; 
Sun  amo  de  aquesta  casa 
Es  omo  de  compliment.' 

"  If  nothing  is  given,  the  last  line  reads  thus : — 
"  '  No  cs  homo  de  compliment.'  " 


OF    ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  117 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

ST.  AUGUSTINE  IN  ITS  OLD  AGE.— 1565-18G8. 

Three  hundred  and  three  years  have  now  passed  over 
the  walls  of  this  venerable  city.  Ten  generations  of  men 
and  women  have  passed  away  since  this  ancient  city  had  an 
existence  and  a  name.  One  can  look  back  to  1565  and  pic- 
ture to  the  mind  the  galleons  of  Spain  anchored  off  its 
harbor  ;  see  the  gallant  Adelantado  Menendez,  clad  in  mail, 
preceded  by  the  standards  of  Spain,  and  followed  by  his  men 
at  arms,  his  bowmen  and  his  cavaliers,  taking  possession  of 
the  country  in  the  name  of  his  sovereign.  The  waves  roll 
in  upon  the  same  shores  now  as  they  did  then  ;  the  green, 
grassy  marshes  and  oyster-clad  banks  present  to  our  eyes 
the  same  appearance  as  they  did  to  theirs  ;  the  white  sandy 
beach  which  received  the  impress  of  the  iron-clad  heel  of 
the  cavalier,  now  yields  to  the  pressure  of  your  foot ;  the 
rustling  pines  along  the  shore  cast  their  pleasant  shadows 
over  you  as  they  did  over  them,  and  perchance  the  same 
eager  thoughts  of  gain  pervade  your  breast  as  you  pass  be- 
neath them,  as  filled  the  hearts  and  souls  of  those  who  long 
ago  came  seeking  gold  and  wealth  unmeasured  upon  those 
shores. 

Three  hundred  years  ago,  and  St.  Augustine  stood  the 
solitary  settlement  of  the  white  race  north  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  in  all  that  great  expanse  which  now  boasts  of  its 
thirty-four  States,  its  three  hundred  cities,  and  its  thirty 
millions  of  people. 

Then  the  Province  of  Florida  extended  northward  to  the 
pole,  and  westward  to  the  Pacific.  At  a  later  period,  after 
the  voyages  of  the  French  and  English,  its  boundaries  were 
limited  to  the  shores  of  the  Chesapeake  and  the  Mississippi 
river,  and  were  subsequently  gradually  contracted  to  their 
present  limits,  so  that  Florida  once  represented  upon  the 
maps  all  of  the  United  States. 

The  life  of  St.  Augustine  runs  parallel  with  that  of  Spain, 
For  a  long  period  Spain  was  at  the  head  of  European  mon- 
archies ;  its  rulers  held  sway  over  more  vast  possessions 
than  had  ever  belonged  to  any  single  crown   since  the  days 


118  THE    HISTORY    AND   ANTIQUITIES 

of  the  Csesars  ;  wealtli  flowed  into  its  coft'ers  from  the  New 
World  in  boundless  profusion,  and  corruption,  venality  and 
effeminacy  followed  in  its  train.  The  whole  continent  of 
America  was  claimed  as  its  dominion.  Its  fleets  anchored 
upon  every  shore  for  conquest  or  exploration,  and  its  ban- 
ners were  unfurled  by  its  generals,  and  the  cross  was  planted 
by  its  priests,  upon  every  headland.  From  all  this  grandeur 
and  eminence  the  Spanish  monarchy  has  been  cast  down. 
Driven  from  land  to  land,  it  has  receded  from  the  main  land 
of  America,  and  has  exchanged  its  dominion  over  a  conti- 
nent to  the  islands  of  the  sea,  which  it  holds  with  a  preca- 
rious grasp,  and  it  now  remains  in  a  dry  old  age  a  fourth- 
rate  power  where  once  it  stood  foremost.  The  first  planted 
of  all  the  cities  of  the  United  States,  St.  Augustine,  now 
ranks  among  the  least. 

Ten  years  have  been  added  to  the  longevity  of  the  ancient 
city  since  the  first  publication  of  this  work.  Ten  years  do 
not  make  their  mark  upon  the  aged  man  as  they  do  upon 
the  youth  launching  forth  into  manliood,  or  as  they  do  upon 
him  who  in  the  full  measure  of  his  matured  strength  is 
battling  with  life.  On  the  nation  at  large,  these  ten  years 
have  left  almost  ineffaceable  scars  and  bruises  ;  ten  years, 
the  most  important,  the  weightiest  and  the  gravest  of  any 
since  the  throes  of  the  great  revolution  which  gave  birth  to 
the  nation.  This  long  sad  period  has  left  no  mark  upon  its 
walls — grey  and  mouldy  with  the  weight  of  years,  and  have 
scarcely  added  a  tinge  the  more  of  age  and  sorrow — and 
yet  the  inner  life  of  the  old  city  has  sustained  a  great 
shock.  The  system  of  servitude,  which  has  now  been 
swept  away,  was  the  sole  dependence  of  many  aged  persons, 
of  many  poor  widows  and  orphan  children. 

Servants  in  St.  Agustine  were  treated  with  paternal  kind- 
ness ;  they  had  grown  up  in  the  family  of  the  indulgent 
master,  had  been  his  play-mate  in  infancy,  and  rendered 
willing  service.  They  had  their  holidays  and  their  balls, 
and  were  ever  found  in  the  back2:round  at  all  festive  'j-ath- 
erings,  enjoying,  upon  a  privileged  footing,  the  pleasures 
of  the  hour,  looking  on  and  commenting  with  pride  upon 
the  graceful  movements  in  the  dance  of  their  young  mis- 
tresses, and  anon  whirling  each  other  around  to  the  music, 
in  the  corridors,  with  the  unrestrained  exuberance  of  their 
simple  and  unalloyed  happiness.  All  this  has  passed  away, 
their  homes  are  broken  up,  the  poor  widow  and  the  orphan 
children  have  been  brought  to  want,  the  sound  of  music 
and  dancing  no  longer  resound  in  the  old  streets,  the  pri- 


OF   ST.    AUGUSTINE,    FLORIDA.  1]9 

vileged  house-maid  and  man-servant  no  longer  do  their  easy 
tasks  with  cheerful  song  and  merry  laugh. 

The  naval  forces  of  the  United  States  took  possession  of 
St.  Augustine  in  1862.  Batteries  liad  been  mounted  at  the 
fort,  and  a  small  garrison  of  Confederate  troops  were  in 
military  occupation  of  the  place,  hut  too  few  in  numbers  to 
offer  any  resistance,  and  the  city  was  surrendered  by  the 
civil  authorities  upon  the  demand  of  Captain  Dupont.  The 
4th  New  Hampshire  regiment  first  garrisoned  the  city. 
The  old  fort  was  brushed  up  and  repaired,  the  earth-works 
strengthened,  and  barracks  built  on  the  platform.  Occa- 
sionally reconnoitering  parties  of  Confederates  approached 
the  town,  and  on  one  occasion  a  festive  party  of  officers, 
who  had  gone  out  to  Mr.  Solanas,  near  Picolata,  to  attend 
a  dance,  were  captured,  with  their  music  and  ambulance, 
by  Captain  Dickinson,  celebrated  for  many  daring  exploits. 
It  was  even  believed  that  this  daring  partisan  had  ridden 
through  the  city  at  night  in  the  guise  of  a  Federal  cavaliy 
officer.  On  another  occasion,  the  commanding  officer  of 
the  garrison  at  St.  Augustine  was  captured  on  the  road 
from  Jacksonville  by  a  Confederate  picket. 

The  inhabitants,  isolated  from  all  means  of  obtaining 
supplies  from  without  the  lines,  Avere  reduced  to  great 
straits.  The  only  condition  upon  which  they  were  allowed 
to  purchase,  was  the  acceptance  of  an  oath  of  loyalty. 
Sympathizing  strongly  with  the  South,  they  were  placed  in 
an  unfortunate  position,  and  many  doubtless  suffered 
greatly.  At  one"  period,  those  of  the  citizens  who  had  rela- 
tives in  the  Confederate  service  were  ordered  to  leave  the 
city.  Then  ensued  a  scene  which  beggars  description. 
Men,  women  and  children  were  huddled  on  board  a  vessel, 
and,  homeless  and  helpless,  were  carried  along  the  coast 
and  disembarked,  shelterless,  on  the  banks  of  the  Nassau 
river,  to  make  their  way  to  food  and  shelter  as  best  they 
could — hardships  which  hardly  seemed  called  for  by  any 
military  necessit3\  Many  of  the  young  men  of  the  city 
went  into  the  Confederate  service  and  served  through  the 
war  with  distinction,  but  many  fell  victims  on  the  battle- 
field, in  the  hospitals,  or  from  exposure  to  the  rigorous  cli- 
mate of  Virginia  and  Tennessee,  to  which  they  were  unac- 
customed. 

To  these  misfortunes  succeeded  to  all,  sales  and  forcible 
deprivation  of  property,  under  the  most  rigorous  construc- 
tion of  most  rigorous  laws — the  unsettling  of  titles  and  the 
loss  of  mean  have  combined  to  lessen  the  ability  of  the 


120  HISTORY  AND  ANTIQUITIES  OF  ST.  AUGUSTINE. 

people  to  do  more  than  try  to  live,  without  much  effort  to 
improve  their  homes  and  the  appearance  of  tlie  city. 

Some  changes  have  taken  pUice  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city. 
Macariz,  the  site  of  the  old  Indian  town,  belonging  to  tlie 
late  Judge  Douglas,  with  its  beautiful  groves  of  forest 
trees,  has  been  utterly  destroyed  ;  and  a  once  pleasant  cot- 
tage home,  near  the  stockades,  dear  to  the  writer,  cared  for 
and  embellished  with  many  things  pleasant  to  the  eye,  fra- 
grant with  the  ever  blooming  roses  and  honeysuckles,  has, 
under  the  rude  hand  of  war,  been  utterly  destroyed,  with 
its  library,  its  furniture,  and  all  its  pleasant  surroundings. 

But  while  man's  work  has  been  to  destrov,  Nature  has 
done  much  within  these  few  years  to  restore  one  of  its  for- 
mer sources  of  prosperity,  the  cultivation  of  the  orange, 
which,  having  been  at  one  period  almost  utterly  destroyed 
by  the  cold,  and  then  by  the  coccus  insect,  is  now  fast  re- 
gaining its  pristine  vigor  and  productiveness,  aud  promises 
in  a  few  years  to  furnish  to  the  city  more  permanent  and 
abundant  sources  of  prosperity  than  it  has  ever  had. 

With  the  infusion  of  Northern  energy  and  capital,  much 
could  be  done  to  further  the  prosperity  of  the  old  city,  by 
building  up  first-class  hotels  and  boarding-houses  for  visitors 
during  the  winter,  by  rebuilding  the  Picolata  railway,  thus 
facilitating  access  to  the  city,  and  thus  a  means  of  support 
could  be  given  to  its  inhabitants. 

I  am  sure  that  no  one  will  feel  otherwise  than  that  its 
old  age  shall  be  tranquil  and  serene,  and  that  its  name  may 
ever  be  associated  with  pleasant  memories. 


BUSINESS    SUPPLEMENT   AND   THE   STORY   OF  JUAN   ORTIZ. 


Sewanee,   Tenn. 


JUNIOR     DEPARTMENT. 
GEN'L.  J.  GOBGAS, Head  Master. 


■Situated  on  the  Plateau  of  the  Cumberland  Mountains,  in  the  Southern 
portion  of  Middle  Tennessee,  a  location  of  unrivalled  salubrity;  temperate  cli- 
mate, and  accessible  by  Rail-road  communication. 

Expenses  of  Board  and  Tuition  very  low,  and  vacation  in  the  "Winter  season. 
For  information,  apply  to 

G.  M.  FAIRBANKS,  Gen' I  Treasurer, 
UxivERsiTT  Place,  Tennessee. 

St.  Mary's  Hall,  for  Girls, 
•     burlington  college, 

(Preparatory  Department,)  for  Boys, 

THE  BISHOP  OF  NEW-JERSEY,  President. 

Terms,  per  School  Year, $450, 

Si^  J^lrst- Class  Education,  and  no  ^xtra  Charges .  ""^^ 

Burlington,  N.  J. 


IF  1 


«a 


This  Institution  has  a  continuous  Session  of  Nine  Months, 

commencing  annually  on  the  1st  day  of  October,  and  ending  on  the   Thurs- 
day before  the  4th  of  July  ensuing. 

The  organization  of  the  Institution  is  very  complete,  embracing  extensive 
and  thorough  Courses  of  Instruction  in  Literature  and  Science,  and  in  the 
Professions  of  Law,  Medicine  and  Engineering. 

B^°For  details,  estimated  expenses,  &c.,  send  for  Catalogue  to  Wm.  Wer- 

tenbaker,  Sec,  or  S.  MAUPIN, 

CHAIRMAN   OF   THE   FACULTY. 

P.  0. — "University  of  Virginia." 


[From  iRvijfo's  "  Conquest  op  Florida,"  just  published  (Dec,  1868,)  by  Putnam  &.  Son,  New  Tork.] 

STORY  OF  JUAN  ORTIZ. 

Shortly  after  Pamphilo  de  Narvaez  had  left  the  village  of  Hirrihigua,  on  his 
disastrous  march  into  the  interior,  a  small  vessel  of  his  fleet,  which  was  in  quest 
of  him,  put  into  the  bay  of  Espiritu  Santo.     Anchoring  before  the  tov/n,  they 


BUSINESS    SUPPLEMENT,    INTERSPERSED  WITH 


WASHINGTON  UNIVERSITY. 


BALTIMORE,  Md. 

FACULTY: 

Rev.  Thomas  E.  Bond,  M.  D.,  President. 

Gr.  C  M.  Roberts,  M.  D.,  L.L.  D.,  Emeritus  Professor  of   Obstetrics  and 

Diseases  of  Women  and  Children. 
Charles  W.  Chancellor,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Descriptive  and  Surgical 

Anatomy. 
J.  P.  Logan,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  the  Principles  and  Practice  of  Medicine. 
Harvey  L.  Byrd,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Obstetrics. 

Martin  P.  Scott,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  the  Diseases  of  Women  &  Children. 
Edward  Warren,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  the  Principles  &  Practice  of  Surgery. 
John  F.  Monmonier,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Physiology  and  General  Pathology. 
J.  J.  Moorman,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Medical  Jurisprudence  and  Hygiene. 
Francis  T.  Miles,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Microscopic  Anatomy  and  Practical 

Physiology. 
Joseph  E.  Clagett,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Materia  Medica  and  Therapeutics. 
Clarence  Morfit,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Medical  Chemistry  and  Pharmacy. 
John  N.  Monmonier,  M.  D.,  Demonstrator  of  Anatomy. 


The  next  regular  Session  of  "Washington  University  will  begin  on  TJilirs- 
day.  the  first  day  of  October,  and  terminate  on  the  22d  day  of  Feb'y,  '69. 

One  Beneficiary  Student  from  each  Congressional  District  of  the  late  slave- 
holding  States,  is  annually  received  in  this  Institution — precedence  being  given 
to  wounded  and  disabled  soldiers. 

In  addition  to  a  Daily  Clinic  of  the  most  satisfactory  character,  this  Institu- 
tion has  attached  to  it  a  Hospital  of  its  own,  in  which  every  possible  facility  is 
afforded  for  acquiring  a  Practical  Knowledge  of  Medicine  and  Surgery. 

By  a  recent  contract  with  the  proper  authorities,  the  Seaman's  Hospital  of 
the  port  of  Baltimore  has  been  placed  exclusively  under  the  control  of  the  Faculty 
of  Washington  University. 

Anatomical  Material  is  abundant. 

A  Prize  of  One  Hundred  Dollars  will  be  given  for  the  best  Thesis  presented 
by  a  candidate  for  graduation. 

FEES  :— Matriculation,  $5  ;  Dissection,  $10  ;  Professors',  $120  ;  Gradua- 
tion, $20  ;  Beneficiary,  $35,  for  each  Session. 

For  additional  information,  address  the  subscriber,  care  of  Post-office  box 
1,267,  Baltimore,  Md. 

JOSBFII  F.  LOGAN,  31.  D.,  Dean  of  the  Faculty. 


saw  a  few  Indians,  who  made  signs  for  them  to  land,  pointing  to  a  letter  in  the 
end  of  a  cleft  reed,  stuck  in  the  ground.  The  Spaniards  supposed,  and  probabl}' 
with  justice,  that  it  was  a  letter  of  instruction  left  by  Narvaez,  giving  informa- 
tion of  his  movements  and  destination.  They  made  signs  for  the  Indians  to  bring 
it  to  them.  The  latter,  however,  refused,  but  getting  into  acanoe  came  on  board, 
where  four  of  them  offered  to  remain  as  hostages  for  such  Spaniards  as  chose  to 


THE   STORY   OP  JUAN    ORTIZ. 


FLORIDA  LANDS  FOR  SALE. 

Several  valuable  Tracts  of  Land  on  the  St.  Johns  river, 
suitable  for  ORANGE  GROVES  :  and  several  thousand  acres  of  valuable 
PLANTING  and  TIMBER  LANDS,  in  St.  Johns,  Duval,  Alachua,  Putnam, 
Marion  and  Yalusia  counties.  B®°  Will  be  sold  in  lots  to  suit  purchasers, 
and  upon  a  long  credit.  Apply  to 
I  J.  M.  FAIRBANS, 

Jacksonville,  Florida. 

J.  P.  SANDERSON, 
ATTORNEY   AT   LAW, 

JACKSONVILLE,  Fla. 

FLEMING  &  DANIEL, 
ATTORNEYS    AT   LAW, 

JACKSONVILLE,  Fla. 

JAMES  M.  BAKER, 
ATTORNEY   AT   LAW, 

■JACKSONVILLE,  Fla. 

B.  B.  ANDREWS, 
ATTORNEY  AT  LAW, 

JACKSONVILLE,  Fla. 

WILKINSON  CALL,  ' 

ATTORNEY    AT    LAW, 

JACKSONVILLE,  Fla. 

go  on  shore  for  the  letter.  Upon  this,  four  Spaniards  stepped  into  the  canoe  and 
were  swiftly  conveyed  to  the  shore.  The  moment  they  landed,  a  multitude  of 
savages  rushed  out  of  the  village  and  surrounded  them,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
the  hostages  on  board  plunged  into  the  sea  and  swam  to  shore.  The  crew  of  the 
vessel,  seeing  the  number  of  the  enemy,  and  dreading  some  further  mishap,  made 
sail  with  all  haste,  abandoning  their  luckless  comrades  to  their  fate. 


BUSINESS    SUPPLEMENT,    INTERSPERSED    WITH 


DEWITT    C.    DAWKINS, 
ATTORNEY  AT  LAW, 

JACKSONVILLE,  Fla. 

W.  M.   IVES, 
ATTORNEY  AT   LAW, 

LAKE  CITY,  Fla. 

J.  J.   FINLAY, 
ATTORNEY    AT    LAW, 

LAKE  CITY,  Fla. 

LAND  AGENCY. 


Li^NDS  BOXJOHT   A^ND   SOLD, 

And  attention  given  to  the  Collection  of  Rents,  and  the  Man- 
agement, Purchase  and  Sale  of 


mi  [STATE.  OF  m\ 


.)       Ul        LILIII        ULUUIMMIUM) 

\i®=^POR   ABSENT    PARTIES,  AND   OTHERS, 

ON    REASONABLE    TERMS. 

C.   L.   ROBINSON, 

REAL-ESTATE  AGENT, 

Jacksonville,  Fla. 

The  captives  were  conveyed  with  savage  triumph  into  the  village  of  Hirrihi- 
gua  ;  for  the  whole  had  been  a  stratagem  of  the  cacique,  to  get  some  of  the  white 
men  into  his  power,  upon  whom  he  might  wreak  his  vengeance.  He  placed  his 
prisoners  under  a  strong  guard,  until  a  day  of  religious  festival.  They  were  then 
stripped  naked,  led  out  into  the  public  square  of  the  village,  and  turned  loose,  one 
at  a  time,  to  be  shot  at  with  arrows.  To  prolong  their  misery  and  the  enjoyment 
of  their  tormentors,  but  one  Indian  was  allowed  to  shoot  at  a  time.  In  this  way 
the  first  three  were  sacrificed,  and  the  cacique  took  a  vindictive  pleasure  in  behold- 
ing them,  running  in  their  agony  from  corner  to  corner,  vainly  seeking  an  asylum 
in  every  nook,  until  after  repeated  wounds  they  were  shot  to  death. 


THE   STORY   OF    JUAN    ORTIZ. 


M.    A.    DZIALYNSKI, 

"WHOLESALE    AND    RETAIL    DEALER    IN 

'Pj  €®©iii  il©IMm 

Hats,  Boots  and  Shoes,  Yankee  Notions, 

Reed's  Building,  Bay  Street, 

JACKSONVILLE,  Fla. 
Orders  from  the  Country  protnjytly  attended  to. 

C.  SLAGER, 

WHOLESALE      AND      RETAIL      DEALER     IN 

•ry  #©®iip  ilttlliif t 

I       Shoes,  Boots,  Hardware,  Groceries, 

AND 

JA-CKSON^^ILLE,  Florida. 


Juan  Ortiz,  a  youth,  scarce  eighteen  years  of  age,  of  a  noble  family  of  Seville, 
was  the  fourth  victim.  As  they  were  leading  him  forth,  his  extreme  youth 
touched  with  compassion  the  hearts  of  the  wife  and  daughters  of  the  cacique,  who 
interceded  in  his  favor. 

The  cacique  listened  to  their  importunities,  and  granted  for  the  present  the  life 
of  Ortiz ; — but  a  wretched  life  did  he  lead.  From  morning  until  evening  he  was 
employed  in  bringing  wood  and  water,  and  was  allowed  but  little  sleep  and  scanty 
food.  Not  a  day  passed  that  he  was  not  beaten.  On  festivals  he  was  an  object  o£ 
barbarous  amusement  to  the  cacique,  who  would  oblige  him  to  run,  from  sunrise- 
to  sunset,  in  the  public  square  of  the  village,  where  his  companions  had  met  their- 
untimely  end  ;  Indians  being  stationed  with  bows  and  arrows,  to  shoot  him  should 
he  halt  one  moment.  AVhen  the  day  was  s^pont,  the  unfortunate  youth  lay 
stretched  on  the  hard  floor  of  the  hut,  more  dead  than  alive.  At  such  times  the 
wife  and  daughters  of  the  cacique  would  come  to  him  privately  with  food  and 
clothing,  and  by  their  kind  treatment  his  life  was  preserved. 


6 


BUSINESS    SUPPLEMENT,    INTERSPERSED  WITH 


JACKSONVILLE,  Fla. 
Always  Re-fitted  for  the   Winter  Travel. 


Is  situated  on  a  retired  portion  of  Bay  Street,  commanding  a  view  of  tlie  St. 
Johns  river,  and  in  proximity  to  the  landing  of  the  Charleston 
Steamers.     H^„Every  attention  paid  to  visitors. 

J.  W.  HAWKINS  &  CO.,  Proprietors. 


FORSYTH  ST.,  {near  Pine,) .TACKSONVILLE,  Fla, 


Special  Attention  to  Persons  Arriving  or  Leaving  Ij  the  Early  Train  or  Boats. 


HIS  House,  entirely  new,  pleasantly  situated,  and  completely  fitted  up, 
is  now  open  for  the  accommodation  of  Travelers  and  Boarders. — 
Grateful  for  the  liberal  patronage  always  shown  me,  I  respectfully 
solicit  the  continued  favors  of  my  friends  at  my  new  location,  where 
every  convenience  will  be  offered  for  their  pleasure  and  comfort. 

Mrs.  E.  HUDNALL,  Proprietress. 


Forsyth  St.,  near  the  Depot,  -  -  JACKSONVILLE,  Fla. 


S.  S.  xVLDERMAN  &  CO.,  Proprietors, 

(FOUMEULY   OF   MaRIANXA,   FLA.) 


Bg^TiiE  BEST  attention  given  to  guests,  and  good  accommodations,  in  every 

respect,  provided. 

At  length  the  cacique,  determining  to  put  an  end  to  his  victim's  existence, 
ordered  that  he  .«liould  bo  hound  down  upon  a  wooden  frame,  in  the  form  of  a 
huge  gridiron,  placed  in  the  puhlic  square,  over  a  bed  of  live  coals,  and  roasted 
alive. 

Tlie  cries  and  shrieks  of  the  poor  youth  reached  his  female  protectors,  and  their 
entreaties  were  once  more  successful  with  tlie  caeiipu'.  They  unbound  Ortiz, 
dragged  him  from  the  fire,  and  took  him  to  their  dwelling,  where  they  bathed 
him  with  the  juiee  of  herbs,  and  tended  him  with  assiduous  care.  After  many 
days  he  recovered  from  his  wounds,  though  marked  with  many  a  scar. 


THE    STORY    OP   JUAN    ORTIZ. 


LAKE   CITY,  Fla. 
Long  established,  8^^  in  proxhiiity  to  R.  R.  Depot. 


A.  S.  Barnes  &  Co., 

PUBLISHERS    OF    THE 

National  Series  of  School  Books, 

r  AND   WHOLESALE 

BOOKSELLERS   AND   STATIONERS, 

III  and  113  William  St.,  Cor.  John, 
NEW  YORK. 

Catalogxic  sent  to  Teachers,  on  ajyplication. 


FRUITLAND  NUR^IES,  Augusta,  Ga. 

p.  J.  BEECKMANS,  Proprietor. 

^vuit  ii'cciS,  (^x^t  Wm%, 

f  14118  411  ISSWllIl®  SHlIflB, 

In  Very  Large  and  Varied  Quantities, 

Adapted  to  the  Latitude  of  the  Gulf  and  other  Southern  States. 

j(J^^Descriptive  Catalogues,  Free,  on  Application. 

ROBT.  C.  LOWRY,  Agent, Jacksonville,  Fla. 


His  employment  was  now  to  guard  the  cemetery  of  the  village.  This  was  in  a 
lonely  field  in  the  bosom  of  a  forest.  The  bodies  of  the  dead  were  deposited  in 
wooden  boxes,  covered  with  boards,  without  any  fastening  except  a  slone  or  a  log 
of  wood  laid  upon  the  top  ;  so  that  the  bodies  were  often  carried  away  by  wild 
beasts. 

In  this  cemetery  was  Ortiz  stationed,  with  a  bow  and  arrows,  to  watch  day  and 
night,  and  was  told  that  should  a  single  body  be  carried  away,  he  would  be  burnt 
alive.  He  returned  thanks  to  God  for  having  freed  him  from  the  dreadful  pre- 
sence of  the  cacique,  hoping  to  lead  a  better  life  with  the  dead  than  he  had  done 
with  the  living. 

"While  watching  thus  one  long  wearisome  night,  sleep  overpowered  him  towards 
morning.  He  was  awakened  by  the  falling  lid  of  one  of  the  chests,  and,  running 
to  it,  found  it  empty.  It  had  contained  the  body  of  an  infant  recently  deceased, 
the  child  of  an  Indian  of  great  note. 


8 


BUSINESS   SUPPLEMENT,   INTERSPERSED  WITH 


J.  M.  PAIEBANKS, 

BAY  STEEET,  -  -  JACKSONVILLE,  FLA., 


iniiiswi! 


AND   DEALER   IN 

HAY,  CORN,  OATS,  BRAN,  PROVISIONS,  FLOUR, 

PORK,  BACON,  LARD,  BUTTER,  &c. 

Ziime,    Cetne7it,   irai7%    Si'ick^  Ma7iipu2ated  Manures, 

O  XT -A.  3vr  O  SJ  , 

GROCERIES. 

AnVANCES    ON    CONSIGNMENTS. 


JOHN  CLARK, 


IlIUKJSWtt 


AND  WHOLESALE  AND  RETAIL  DEALER  IN 

LIQUORS,  SEGARS,  &c.,  &c. 

o 

Agent  for  the  Steamers  DARLINGTON  and  UATTIE. 


JACKSONVILLE,  FLA. 


Ortiz  doubted  not  some  animal  had  drae,'ged  it  away,  and  immediately  set  out 
in  pursuit.  Al'ter  wandering;  I'or  some  time,  he  heard,  a  .^hort  distance  within 
the  woods,  a  noise  like  that  of  a  dog  gnawing  bones.  Warily  drawing  near  to  the 
spot,  he  dimly  perceived  an  animal  among  the  bushes,  and  invoking  succor  from 
on  high,  let  fly  an  arrow  at  it.  The  thick  and  tangled  underwood  prevented  him 
from  seeing  the  effect  of  his  shot,  but  as  the  animal  did  not  stir,  he  flattered  him- 
self that  it  had  been  fatal;  with  this  hope  he  waited  until  the  day  dawned,  when 
he  beheld  hi.s  victim,  a  huge  animal  of  the  jianther  kind,  lying  dead,  the  arrow 
having  passed  through  his  entrails  and  cleft  his  heart. 

Gathiu-ing  together  the  mangled  remains  of  the  infant,  and  replacing  them  in 
the  coffin,  Ortiz  dragged  his  victim  in  triumph  to  the  village,  with  the  arrow  still 
in  his  body.  The  exploit  gained  him  credit  with  the  old  hunters,  and  for  some 
time  softened  even  the  ferocity  of  the  cacique.  The  resentment  of  the  latter, 
however,  for  the  wrongs  he  had  suffered  from  white  men,  was  too  bitter  to  be  ap- 
peased. Some  time  after,  his  eldest  daughter  came  to  Ortiz,  and  warned  him  that 
her  father  had  determined  to  sacrifice  him  at  the  next  festival,  which  was  just  at 
hand,  and  that  the  influence  of  her  mother,  her  sisters,  and  herself  would  no 
longer  avail  him.     She  wished  him,  therefore,  to  take  refuge  with  a  neighboring 


THE   STORY   OF    JUAN   ORTIZ. 


The  Spaniards  in  Florida: 

BEING 

Fairbanks'  History  of  St.  Augustine, 

RE  VISED, 

WITH  ADDITIONS  BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


POCKET  MAP  OF  THE  STATE,  Price  $1.25, 


AND 


©TMEi  w®iics  ©m  rLORioA. 


FOR   SALE    BY 


O.    I3H.E3A7^, 


J'acksonville. 


H.  ROBINSON, 


j-  rii||i^t, 


Corner  Ocean  and  Forsyth  Sts.,  (adjoining  Post-oflace,) 


C.    PARKHURST. 


A.    B.    HUSSEY. 


C.  PARKHUEST  &  CO., 

WHOLESALE   AND    RETAIL    DEALERS    IN 

CORN,  FLOUR,  DRY  GOODS,  GROCERIES, 
Hardware,  Woodware,  Furniture,  &c.. 

Ocean  Street,  near  Bay,  -    -    -  JACKSONVILLE,  Pla. 

cacique  named  Mucozo,  who  loved  her,  and  sought  her  in  marriage,  and  who,  for 
her  sake,  would  befriend  him.  "  This  very  night  at  midnight,"  said  the  kind- 
hearted  maiden,  "  at  the  northren  extremity  of  the  village  you  will  find  a  trusty 
friend  who  will  guide  you  to  a  bridge,  about  two  leagues  hence  ;  on  arriving  there, 
you  must  send  him  back,  that  he  may  reach  home  before  the  morning  dawn,  to 
avoid  suspicion — for  well  he  knows  that  this  bold  act,  in  daring  to  assist  you, 
may  bring  down  destruction  upon  us  both.  Six  leagues  further  on,  you  will  come 
to  the  village  of  Mucozo — tell  him  that  I  have  sent  you,  and  expect  him  to  be- 
friend you  in  your  extremity — I  know  he  will  do  it — go,  and  may  your  God  pro- 
tect you!"     Ortiz  threw  himself  at  the  feet  of   his  generous  protectress,  and 


10  BUSINESS   SUPPLEMENT,  INTERSPERSED   WITH 

T.  HARTEIDGE, 

Bay  Street f      -      -      -      -      Jaclisonville,  Fla., 

GENERAL   DEALER   IN 

DRY  GOODS,  GROCERIES,  PROVISIONS, 

CORN,  &c.,  Wholesale  &  Retail. 

o 

Commission  Consignments  entrusted  to  him,   carefully  attended  to. 


FRANK  SMITH  &  BRO., 

Wholesale  Dealers  in 

GROCERIES^FROVISIONS 

NO.  1  REQUA'S  BLOCK, 

JACKSONVILLE,     FLA. 


J"UE¥ITUIIB  HOUSE, 

Near  the  R.  R.  Depot, 

JACKSONVILLE,  Fla. 

Large  Supplies  constantly  kept  on  hand,  and  Orders 
promptly  filled. 

]y:.  AV.  DREW, 

rro2>i'ietor  of  the  ICE  DEPOT, 

JACKSONVILLE,  Fla. 


poured  out  his  acknowledgements  for  the  kindness  she  had  alwaj's  shown  him. 
The  Indian  guide  was  at  the  place  appointed,  and  they  left  the  village  without 
alarming  the  warlike  savages.  When  they  came  to  the  bridge,  Ortiz  sent  back 
the  guide,  in  obedience  to  the  injunction  of  his  mistress,  and,  continuing  his 
flight,  found  himself,  by  break  of  day,  on  the  banks  of  a  small  stream  near  the 
village  of  Mucozo. 

Looking  cautiously  around,  he  espied  two  Indians  fishing.  As  he  was  unac- 
quainted with  their  language,  and  could  not  explain  the  cause  of  his  coming,  he 
was  in  dread  lest  they  should  take  him  for  an  enemy  and  kill  him.  He,  there- 
fore, ran  to  the  place  where  they  had  deposited  their  weapons  and  seized  upon 
them.  The  savages  fled  to  the  village  without  heeding  his  assurances  of  friendly 
intention.  The  mhabitants  sallied  "out  with  bows  and  arrows,  as  though  they 
would  attack  him.  Ortiz  fixed  an  arrow  in  his  bow,  but  cried  out  at  the  same 
moment,  that  he  came  not  as  an  enemy  but  as  an  ambassador  from  a  female 
cacique  to  their  chief.  Fortunately  one  present  understood  him,  and  interpreted 
his  words.     On  this  the  Indians  unbent  their  bows,  and  returning  with  him  to 


THE   STORY   OP  JUAN   ORTIZ. 


11 


BETTELINI  85  TOGNI, 

JACKSONVILLE,  Fla., 


DEALERS   IN 


IMPORT,  DIRECT  FROM  FRANCE, 

Champagne  &  Claret  Wines,  Cognac  Brandy, 
Jll^i  OTHER  riEiaeH  i®®©i« 

B@°"  AGENTS   FOR    HAVRE   LINE   OF    PACKETS,  "©a 


w. 


losei  A. 


iQ^Qi-f^ 


%.  J 


■1;1'     *| 

,!rJ,.ii  ?i 


IC, 


DEALER   IN 


Oi 


Ifrne  cMattl^es,  Setodrg,  pilber  mis  Myitis  m^xt. 

Also, 

Ocean  Street,  adjoining  Express  Office,  -  -  Jacksonville,  Fla. 


m  XT  -p 

INTERNATIOK'L  OCEAN  TELEGRAPH 

COMPANV. 

Wires  extending  from  Lake  City,  Fla.,  to  Havana,  Cuba,  connecting 
with  all  Telegraph  Lines  in  the  United  States,  and  with  the  Atlantic  cable 
to  Europe.     *^*  Office  in  Jacksonville,  corner  Bay  and  Pine  streets. 

W.  H.  HEISS,  Gr.n.  Supf.  WILLIAM  F.  SMITH,  Prest. 

their  village,  presented  him  to  Mucozo.  The  latter,  a  youthful  chieftain,  of  a 
graceful  form  and  handsome  countenance,  received  Ortiz  kindly  for  the  sake  of 
her  who  had  sent  him  ;  but,  on  further  acquaintance,  became  attached  to  him  for 
his  own  merits,  treating  him  with  the  affection  of  a  brother. 

Hirrihigua  soon  heard  where  the  fugitive  had  taken  refuge,  and  demanded  sev- 
eral times  that  he  should  be  delivered  up  ;  Mucozo  as  often  declined  ;  considering 
himself  bound  by  the  laws  of  honor  and  hospitality  to  protect  him.     Hirrihigua 


12  BUSINESS  SUPPLEMENT,  INTERSPERSED  WITH 


111,-lOIi  OiMMiH 

WITMJFiSiliA. 
EHOM  SAVA¥¥AH: 

(At  which  point  the  R.  E,.  and  Steamship  Lines  from  the  North  converge.) 

PASSENGERS    TAKE   THE 

MImmtle  ^  ©mil  E.  S*?. 

WHICH    INTERSECTS    THE 

PENSACOLA  &  GEORGIA  ROAD, 

("WHICH   RUNS   EAST   AND   WEST    THROUGH    FLORIDA,) 

^^  ZiIT^  OA£^y   a  point  mid-ji^ay  betwee7i  Tallaliasse 

a7id  J^ackso7ivi2le , 

FROM  WHENCE  THEY  CAN  TAKE  EITHER  DIRECTION. 


TWO  Trains  are  run  DAILY  between  Savannah  and 

Jacksonville,  and  ONE  between  Savannah 

and  Tallahasse. 

Time,  from  Savannah  to  Jacksonville,  by  Express,  12  hours, 
and  Without  Change  of  Cars. 


From  JACKSONVILLE,   Steamboats  run  on  the  St.  John's 
Miver,  in  connection  tvith  the  Road. 


'hrough  Tickets  can  be  procured  in  New  York  and 
other  principal  cities  North,  for  TALLAHASSE,  JACKSONVILLE,  and 
all  points  on  the  St.  John's,  and  to  ST.  AUGUSTINE. 

The  accommodations  on  the  Iloads  are  first  class,  with  superior  Sleeping 
Cars,  and  all  other  modern  comforts. 

R.  WALKER, 

General  Supt.  P.  &  G.  K.  R.,  Tallahasse. 

H.  S.  HAINES, 

General  Supt.  A.  &  G.  R.  R.,  Savannah. 

C.  D.  OWENS, 

General  Business  Agt.  A.  «S:  G.  R.  R., 

No.  40  Broadway,  Neiv  York. 

then  employed  as  mediator  another  cacique,  a  brother-in-law  of  Mucozo,  by  the 
name  of  Urribarracuxi,  who  went  in  person  to  demand  Ortiz.  The  yunerous 
Mucozo,  however,  refused  to  deliver  up  to  a  cruel  enemy,  the  poor  fugitive  who 


THE   STORY   OP  JUAN   ORTIZ. 


13 


BROCK'S   LINE   ON   THE   ST.  JOHNS. 


THE  STEAMERS 


iliLIIJif  iH  and  I^ITTI 


FOKM   THE    LINE 


Beten  JACKSONVILLE  and  ENTERPRISE,  Fionda, 

Making  at  least  SEMI- WEEKLY  TRIPS  during  the  AVinter,  and  adapting 
their  Schedule  to  the  demands  of  Travel  and  Trade  on  the  River : 


Mandarin,'*' 

Hibernia,* 

3Iagnolia, 

Green-Cove  Spring,'^ 

Hogarth's  Wharf* 

Picolata,* 

Tocoi, 

Federal  Point,* 

Orange  Mills,  . 

Dancy's  Wharf,* 

Wliet stone's  *' 

JtiisselVs         " 

TalatUa,* 


-TOUCHING   AT — 

Hargrove's  Landing, 
Horse  Landing, 
Welaka,* 
Salt  LaJce,* 
Oeorgetotvn, 
Valiisia,* 
Hatvkinsville,* 
Cabbage  Bluff, 
Starke's  Landing, 
Blue  Spring,* 
Emanuel  Landing, 
Mellonville* ,  and 
Enterprise* — 


(Where  visitors  are  entertained  at  the  BROCK  HOUSE,) 

And  leaving  Mails  at  such  of  those  places  as  are  marked  with  a  * — affording 
ample  opportunities  to  Strangers  and  others  to  visit  the  various  localities  on 
the  Beautiful  St.  tToJm's,  and  connecting  with  the  Kail-road  lines  to  and 
from  Savannah. 

THIS  IS   THE  OLD-ESTABLISHED    LOCAL   LINE    OF   THE   WHOLE 

KIVEK  KOUTE. 

''or  detailed  information,  as  to  Schedules  of  Time  and  Kates,  apply  to 

JOHN  CLARK,  Agent, 

Dock,   foot  of  Ocean  St.,  JACKSONVILLE,  Fla. 


had  come  recommended  to  his  protection,  and  treated  the  very  request  as  a  stain 
upon  his  honor.     The  two  caciques  continued  their  importunities,  but  the  high- 


14  THE    STORY   OF   JUAN    ORTIZ. 

minded  savage  remained  faithful  to  his  guest,  though  in  maintaining  inviolate 
the  sacred  rites  of  hospitality,  he  lost  the  friendship  of  his  brother-in-law,  and 
forfeited  the  hand  of  her  he  tenderly  loved,  the  beautiful  daughter  of  Hirrihigua. 

At  this  juncture  tidings  reached  Mucozo  of  the  arrival  of  De  Soto  and  his 
troops  at  the  village  of  Hirrihigua,  and  that  it  was  their  intention  to  conquer  the 
country.  Alarmed  at  this  intelligence,  he  addressed  himself  to  Ortiz.  "You all 
know,"  said  he,  "what  I  have  done  for  you;  that  T  have  sheltered  you  when 
friendless,  and  have  chosen  rather  to  fall  into  disgrace  with  my  relations  and 
neighbors,  than  to  deliver  you  into  the  hands  of  your  enemies.  This  I  did  with- 
out thought  or  hope  of  reward,  but  the  time  has  come  when  you  can  repay  me  for 
my  friendship.  Go  to  the  chieftain  of  this  army  of  white  men — represent  to  him 
the  asylum  I  have  extended  to  j-ou,  and  which,  in  like  case,  I  would  have 
aflbrded  to  any  of  your  countrymen — entreat  him,  in  return,  not  to  lay  waste  my 
territory,  and  assure  him  that  I  and  mine  are  ready  to  devote  ourselves  to  his 
service. 

Ortiz  gladly  departed  on  the  mission,  accompanied  by  fifty  chosen  warriors.  It 
happened  that  about  the  same  time  Baltazar  de  Gallegos  had  been  dispatched,  as 
has  been  already  mentioned,  on  his  embassy  to  Mucozo. 

As  Ortiz  and  his  Indian  escort,  therefore,  were  on  their  way  to  the  village  of 
Hirrihigua,  they  came  in  sight  of  Baltazar,  and  his  band  of  huicers,  glistening  at 
a  distance,  in  the  midst  of  a  verdant  plain,  skirted  by  a  wood. 

The  Indians  would  have  concealed  themselves  in  the  forest,  until  the  Christians 
could  be  informed  that  they  were  friends  ;  but  Ortiz  slighted  their  advice,  insist- 
ing that  his  countrymen  would  at  once  recognize  him  ;  not  reflecting  that  in  ap- 
pearance he  was  in  nowise  different  from  his  savage  companions,  being  like  them 
almost  naked,  his  body  browned  by  exposure  to  the  sun,  his  arms  painted,  a 
quiver  at  his  back,  a  bow  and  arrow  in  his  hand,  and  his  head  adorned  with 
feathers. 

No  sooner  did  the  Spaniards  descry  the  savages,  than  they  came  down  upon 
them  at  full  gallop,  heedless  of  the  voice  of  their  captain  ;  for  they  were  newly 
raised  soldiers,  full  of  spirit,  and  eager  for  a  brush  with  the  natives. 

The  Indians  fled  terrified  to  the  wood.  One,  however,  was  overtaken  and  slain. 
Juan  Ortiz  was  assaulted  by  Alvaro  Nieto,  one  of  the  stoutest  and  boldest 
troopers  in  the  army.  Ortiz  parried  the  thrust  of  his  lance  with  his  bow,  running 
at  the  same  time,  and  leaping  from  side  to  side  with  great  agility  to  avoid  the 
horse,  crying  out  lustily  Xivilla,  Xivilla — meaning  Seville,  Seville;  and  making 
the  sign  of  the  cross  with  his  arm  and  bow,  to  signify  that  he  was  a  Christian. 

Alvaro  Nieto  hearing  him  cry  out  Xivilla,  demanded  of  him  whether  he  was 
Juan  Ortiz.  On  his  replying  in  the  affirmative,  he  seized  him  by  the  arm,  lifted 
him  upon  the  croup  of  liis  saddle,  and  scoured  away  to  present  him  to  Baltazar  de 
Gallegos.  The  captain  received  him  with  great  joy,  and  ordered  liis  troopers  to 
be  recalled,  who  were  beating  up  the  woods  and  hunting  the  poor  Indians  like  so 
many  deer. 

Ortiz  himself  went  into  the  forrest  and  called  to  the  Indians,  to  come  out  and 
fear  nothing.  Many,  however,  fled  back  to  their  village,  to  acquaint  ^^fucozo 
with  what  had  happened.  Others  joined  Ortiz  in  small  parties,  upbraiding  him 
with  his  rashness,  but  when  they  found  one  of  their  people  wounded,  they  were  so 
exasperated,  that  they  would  have  laid  violent  hands  upon  him  had  not  theSj)an- 
iards  been  present. 

They  were  at  length  pacified.  The  soldiers  bound  up  the  wounds  of  the  Indian, 
and  placed  him  upon  a  horse.  The  troopers,  having  taken  up  all  the  Indians 
behind  them,  galloped  away  for  the  encampment  of  the  governor.  Previously  to 
setting  off,  however,  Orliz  dispatched  an  Indian  to  Mucozo,  with  .a  true  account 
of  the  late  events,  lest  that  cacique  should  be  irritated  by  the  alarming  statement 
brought  by  the  fugitives. 

The  night  was  already  far  advanced  when  Baltazar  de  Gallegos  and  his  band 
reached  the  camp.     AVhen  the  governor  heard  the  tramp  of  their  horse,  he  feared 


THE   STORY   OP  JUAN   ORTIZ — CONCLUDED.  15 

some  mischance  had  befallen  them,  as  he  had  not  looked  for  them  before  the  expi- 
ration of  three  days.  His  apprehensions  were  soon  turned  to  rejoicing.  He 
praised  Gallegos  and  his  men  for  the  skill  and  success  of  their  expedition,  and 
received  Ortiz  as  his  own  son,  sympathizing  with  his  past  sutierings,  and  present- 
ing him  with  a  suit  of  clothes,  arms,  and  a  good  horse.  The  Indians  he  treated 
with  kindness,  and  ordered  the  wounded  savage  to  be  carefully  attended.  He  then 
dispatched  two  of  the  natives  to  Mucozo,  thanking  him  for  his  past  kindness  to 
Ortiz,  accepting  his  proffers  of  friendship,  and  inviting  him  to  the  camp.  Not 
an  eye  was  closed  this  night,  but  one  and  all  joined  in  the  revelry  which  wel- 
comed the  liberation  of  poor  Ortiz. 


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